Many parents feel bewildered when their child, seemingly out of nowhere, begins “obsessing” over horses. The “horse crazy phase” has almost a mythological status as something that can be predicted to come and go as “just a phase,” but, just like any developmental phase for kids and teens, attuned parenting invites us to connect…
Keeping a horse on stall rest can be stressful both for horses and for the humans who care for them. For some equine injuries, stall rest or partial stall rest is the only way to rest a horse’s body sufficiently for a full recovery. For horses, whose brains and bodies evolved to range over many…
A “horse-crazy” phase is normal for many kids- especially girls. For lucky kids with access to horses and horseback riding facilities, horseback riding offers an incredibly enriching experience for kids, tween’s, and teens. For kids growing up in the digital age, horseback riding offers an analog sport, free from screens and stats, and free…
Because Hawk Hill has frontage on a busy road in a suburban area, I have my horses wear leather halters 24/7. I once watched the comical-had-it-not-been-so-scary struggle of a highway patrol officer trying to secure an unhaltered horse running loose on a highway and that experience convinced me that having a fast, secure way to catch…
One of the fun parts of owning a horse- especially in the 2020’s- is getting to pose with and do social media photoshoots with your horse. As horse owners we are proud of our horses and ponies and want to share our horse-buddies with our friend circle, even those who don’t hang out at…
A stud chain can be a useful tool or an unnecessarily harsh correction, depending on the handler’s use of the chain and a particular horse’s sensitivity to correction. While a horse’s sensitivity can sometimes work in your benefit (like the horse who only needs a rider to carry a crop in order to become more…
Many horse owners enjoy exhibiting in horse shows for fun and the thrill of competition. When you think about a horse show, a certain image probably comes to mind. You may be surprised to learn that that image can vary dramatically around the world and even within the United States. Demystifying horse show clothing You…
Believe it or not, the best tool to clean a horse trough is a toilet bowl brush! – no, not the used kind (gross!), a brand new, one! A basic toilet brush has bristles on all sides that make cleaning trough bottoms, rims, and sides way easier than most bucket or trough cleaning brushes! Plus,…
as your horse or pony recently started tossing their head up in the air when you are riding? When horses start head tossing behavior, it often indicates one of a few things, which we will discuss in this article. Because head tossing can have a few causes, it may take some detective work…
Not so many years ago, horses and horsemanship were part of everyday life. Because they were so ordinary – a bit like cats or dogs are today- most people understood quite a bit about horses, their likes, and their habits. Today, the vast majority of people don’t get to have hands-on experience with…
