horse, horse riding

Endurance Riding – More Than A Trail Ride!

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Endurance Riding – More Than A Trail Ride!

horse, horse ridingWe hear a lot of talk in the horse world about dressage, showjumping, and eventing. These are even Olympic sports that people and their horses compete in worldwide. If these aren’t the kind of competitive riding events you’re interested in, have you thought of endurance riding?

Here in the Brisbane Valley area, we have loads of beautiful trails that are perfect for leisure trail riding. You can even train and compete in endurance events!

One such event is the Yarraman Endurance Ride on the 30th – 31st March. Held by Endurance Horse Sports Australia, it has multiple options for competing over 20, 40 or even 80kms. Obviously, these types of events require prior conditioning to enter long distances. If this is something that you think you’d like to work up to, why not head over and find out more about what is required!

What Is Endurance Riding?

Endurance riding is long-distance races, that are broken up into checkpoints. It is far more than just attempting to go full-speed the entire way and involves planning what pace to set per section. There are often multiple distances to choose from, to cater for people new to the sport as well as experienced competitors.

In an endurance ride, the winner is the first one to cross the finish line while stopping at intervals for vet checks. These ensure the horse isn’t in distress or exhausted and able to continue on. Unlike horse racing though, any improvement on your horse’s performance is viewed as a success, not necessarily coming first overall. It is a true test of a horse and rider’s stamina, not unlike marathon racing. Endurance riding differs from trail riding – you are given maps of the set route you must take, and if you miss a “checkpoint”, you can be disqualified. If there are any significant terrain obstacles like creeks, ditches or steep inclines and declines, the rider will be notified of them as well.

Gear is also important. You generally want any tack to be light and well-padded for your horse’s comfort. There are saddles that have been specially designed to be lightweight, breathable and much more comfortable for the horse and rider over the distance. Some horses will be ridden in bitless bridles or even rope halters, and quite often the use of a breastplate will be required for steep inclines.

Conclusion

This is just a very brief overview of endurance riding. If it has piqued your interest, why not head over to the EHSA website to find out more? If you require embroidery for an event such as this, why not get in contact with us and find out how we can help. Have a safe and fun weekend!

tack horse rug storage

Horse Rugs Storage Ideas

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Horse Rug Storage Ideas

With horse ownership, it is inevitable that you will end up collecting a lot of gear along the way. Halters, brushes, bandages, bridles, saddles, other accessories. The list goes on. Most things you buy, you probably don’t need but are good to have on hand. Some items are easy to store, but others can be bulky and difficult. Horse rugs definitely fall under the latter. Some horses have a small set, consisting of one winter and maybe one light summer rug. Other horses can have entire wardrobes of rugs to suit different conditions and scenarios.

One of the biggest issues it how to store all these rugs? They aren’t the cheapest horse item, so you don’t want them getting ruined by horses standing on them, shed vermin such as rats and mice, or your local friendly spider clan building their home inside them!

Today we are going to outline a few ideas to help store your rugs to keep them protected, dry and insect free!

4 Out-of-the-box Horse Rug Storage Options

  • Vacuum Storage Bags – these are a fantastic option, you can fold your horse rug/s inside it, seal it shut and then suck all the air out of the bag, leaving it flat. It can then be stored on a shelf or cupboard until you need them again. This is best for keeping out-of-season rugs in good condition over the months they aren’t needed. These can be purchased at stores like Kmart or Big W.
  • Old Chest Freezer – have a big old chest freezer that no longer works? Clean it and use as horse rug storage! It allows for easy access via the lid, and when shut, will keep out spiders, mice and other animals who might like to mark their territory on it. Gumtree or Ebay are great options to find one of these.
  • Plastic Storage Container – ideal for thin or small rugs. Snap-on lids keep the bugs out, they stack on top of each other and can even have wheels for easy transport. Once again, Kmart or Big W can help with these.
  • Feed drums with lids – once the contents have been used, feed drums are great for storing rugs for similar reasons as a storage container. Your local feed store might even have empty drums that they are only too happy to offload for free. It never hurts to ask.

We hope these 4 out of the box horse rug storage options have been helpful to you. As always, any questions about our horse rugs can be asked via our contact page or our Facebook page. Have a fantastic rest of the week!

 

 

travel with horse

Travel With Your Horse

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Travel With Your Horse – What To Bring?

travel with horse When you go on a long car trip, usually the first thing you think about is what to take with you to make the trip more comfortable. Food, a book, maybe a blanket. The same applies to your horse, especially since they will be standing for fairly long periods of time. We have come up with a small list of things to consider when transporting your horse. Some of these will be included when you transport your horse with a horse transport company, but we have added them for when you might be doing a trip that is not as long a distance.

Light, breathable rug – gives protection from draughts. A heavier rug should be used if weather is colder. At Bang For Your Buck, we have a wide range of horse rugs that will keep wind chill off your horse, while being breathable and providing protection. You can find the range here.
Protective front and back travel boots – horse’s legs are very delicate and prone to knocks, cuts and bruising.
Padded halter – Behind the ears and around the bridge of the nose is prone to rubbing, a padded halter will help cushion the skin from the horse moving their head around to take in their surroundings
First Aid Kit – you should always have a stocked first aid kit wherever your horse may go. It is better to have it and not need it, than the other way around! Horses can be very clumsy at times.
Hay Net – keeps the horse occupied and his digestive tract working while travelling. Feeding grain is not the best idea due to the possible risk of choking and even travel sickness.
Water storage and buckets – you may not always be able to stop where fresh water is. Take clean buckets and a storage container of fresh water, just in case. Never keep full buckets of water on the float while travelling, as it can spill and make the floor surface slippery for your horse. Always offer water while stopped for a break or once you have reached your destination.
Torch & batteries – things always seem to go askew after dark, so a torch and fresh batteries are essential
Hopefully, this has given you some good ideas on what to include when you next go on a trip with your horse. We will have a follow up next week or preparing your vehicle for towing a horse float, so stay tuned!
horse hoof

Keeping Your Horse Sound

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Keeping Your Horse Sound

Healthy hooves are essential for your horse’s well-being. If they are neglected in any way, the chances of your horse going lame increase dramatically and will end up costing you time away from riding, and money.  There is an old saying –  “No Hoof, No Horse”. Translated, it means if a horse’s feet aren’t comfortable and healthy, it affects every facet of that horses life.

In order to keep your horse sound and happy, here is a short checklist of things you can do.

  • Clean their feet out regularly. Dirt and stones can get wedged under their feet and cause discomfort and bruising.
  • Have them trimmed/shod regularly. Hooves should be trimmed every 4-6 weeks on average. It is similar for shoes. When a horse’s toe grows too long, it can affect the way they move and cause lameness, uneven gait or even change the alignment of the internal structure of their feet.
  • Some horses naturally have more brittle walls on their hooves. In cases like this, supplements and oils can help assist in strengthening, along with consultation with your farrier or vet.
  • Check the soles of their feet for bruises, puncture wounds or cracks.
  • Be mindful of the surfaces you ride your horses on, particularly if they aren’t shod.
  • Minimise exposure to wet muddy ground in their paddock if possible. Standing in these conditions for too long can result in your horse developing thrush, seedy toe or greasy heel.

When you think about how much weight these four relatively small structures have to handle, it makes sense that their care should be a priority.  With these few tips, your horse should be sound and happy for the adventures ahead!

horses feeding and water

Can You Recognise Heat Stress In Your Horse?

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Can You Recognise Heat Stress In Your Horse?

Recently, the east coast of Australia had a week-long spell of unusually hot weather for October/November. While it is relatively easy for us humans to cool ourselves down, horses aren’t quite so lucky. It is very important to recognise the signs of heat stress in your horse and steps you can take to prevent this.

Signs of Heat Stress:

  • If riding your horse, try and do it first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. Not only is it less likely to send your horse into distress, but it reduces the risk of your harm as well, from sunburn and dehydration.
  • Make sure your horse has ample access to cool water. If there is no choice but to have water in an area that receives full-sun, why not try adding some large ice blocks made out of soft drink bottles into the trough or bucket to assist in keeping the water cooler?
  • Adequate shade in their paddock is vital, or a well-ventilated stable or structure. Some people don’t know it, but it is actually considered neglect if a horse doesn’t have some form of shade in their paddock to get out of the sun. Having one of these, especially during our summers, is a no-brainer and should be a priority.
  • When hosing your horse to cool them down, always scrape excess water off them. If the water is left on their coats, it can heat up itself once the horse is outside and actually make them hotter! Some horses will roll after being hosed. To us, it makes them dirty again; to them, it’s adding a protective coating to repel heat getting to their skin.
  • For horses with medical conditions such as Cushings Disease, you need to be extra careful. One of the symptoms of this disease is a horse not being able to self-regulate their body temperature through coat shedding, among other things. If you suspect a horse heat stress is not from direct exercise or other outside conditions, get them checked by a vet.

How do I recognise the signs of heat stress?

  • Horse is sweating profusely, or alternately not sweating at all, along with:
  • High breathing rate, even panting to try and get more oxygen circling their body
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Skin to touch is dry and hot
  • Higher than normal temperature

If your horse is showing some of these signs, you need to act quickly. Move them into the shade and hose them off with cool water and scraping after. Always seek veterinary attention, particularly if your horse is severely distressed. Untreated, it can cause organ failure and the inevitable death of your horse.

Horse needs horse rugs

Protect Your Horse From Flies

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Protect Your Horse From Flies

How CAN you protect your horse from flies? It’s that time of year again. The warm weather and wet season bring an influx of the bane of a horse’s existence! For whatever reason, flies and mosquitos seem particularly attracted to a horse’s legs and face. They can cause anxiety and fidgeting in horses on the ground and while being ridden, and in some cases cause illness and injury through blood loss and itching.

Today we will outline some steps you can take to minimize flies, mosquitoes and other biting insects around your paddock and stable, and causing misery to your horse.

Fly Prevention Tips

  1. Clear Away Manure – flies LOVE horse poo! One of the best ways you can help discourage flies is to regularly clear out paddocks and stables of manure. It is also a great idea to have your manure pile as far away as practically possible from where your horse spends most of its time.
  2. Put On A Mesh Horse Rug – putting a light mesh horse rug on your horse is a great way to protect them just about everywhere except their legs! While some might think that horses would get too hot with a rug on, the fabrics created today can actually reflect heat, keeping them cooler. The added protection from biting insects is also a plus! You can find a wide range of summer rugs on our site HERE.
  3. Repellents – applying fly repellant regularly to your horses’ legs will provide temporary relief. There are many varieties to choose from, with varying prices. Rotating different types of repellents will help you find the one most effective for your situation.
  4.  Keep Water Fresh & Aerated – ensuring your horse has plenty of clean, fresh water is a given. It should be cleaned out and/or topped up each day. Make sure any empty containers that get filled with water don’t sit for too long and go stagnant. This is the ideal breeding ground for insects. By removing these, you’re giving the insects less opportunity to breed.
  5. Use A Flyveil – if flies are bad while you’re out riding, consider putting a fly hood or veil on your horse’s head to give them relief. If your horse has never had one on before, then proceed with caution and acclimatise them to one. It could make training and trail riding a much nicer experience for both of you!

In Summary

Flies and mosquitoes can make our lives a misery, but at the same time, they can provide a valuable service to nature. We hope these tips have helped give you ideas on how to protect your horse from flies this summer. If you ever have any questions about our range of horse rugs, don’t hesitate to contact us.