Horse & Rider

I’ve seen it happen for years: people turning down the perfect horse because it happens to be a mare. These riders and owners say they won’t consider buying a mare because of stereotypes that come with them: their mood changes, heat cycles, and their

Vaccines against disease transmitted by vectors, such as mosquitos, should be administered in spring before the seasonal increase in transmission. These diseases include West Nile Virus, and Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE/WEE). The

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Hay nets can be a great way to keep you horse’s stall tidy and slow down a fast eater, but they can get messy to fill if you don’t have a good system in place. To help make filling hay nets easier, put the net in an empty trash can as if it were a ga

1. A classic leather breast collar is as practical as it is fashionable. The simple stitching and thetraditional design of this Weaver Leather breast collar ($120.59; ridethebrand.com.) will never go out of style, making it the perfect piece of gear

Aside from being a nuisance, flies carry and spread diseases that you’d rather not share with your horses. And while you can take steps during fly season to reduce populations, the most effective way to manage flies is to practice early and ongoing p

If you find yourself struggling to stay out of the penalty box when it comes time to perform a rollback, try going back to the basics at home and working the pieces individually before attempting to do them all at once. This drill is designed to help

A ROLLBACK is a maneuver you frequently see in reining events. It’s a 180-degree reversal of forward motion completed by running to a stop, rolling your horse’s shoulders back to the opposite direction over the hocks, and departing into a lope in one

TRAVEL Ohio WHERE Columbus WHAT Equine Affaire WHEN April 7–10, 2022 Located at the Ohio Expo Center, Equine Affaire (equineaffaire.com) allows horse enthusiasts to come together and celebrate their love for all things horses during a three-day event

Competing at a horse show can be a daunting thought, especially if you’ve never attended one before. But the whole point of showing is to do something fun with your horse surrounded by people who are just as passionate about horses as you are. We’re

Anticipation is something that many horses struggle with, and it can be a difficult problem to solve if you don’t address it immediately. When your horse is anticipating what you’re going to do next, he becomes anxious and unfocused. He can’t keep hi

Building your confidence in the saddle starts with assessing your strengths and weaknesses. When a particular skill is easy for you, it’s natural to feel more confident. But when a skill is more difficult for you to learn, it’s easy to lack confidenc

If you’re a parent, you might even consider making your next horse camping trip a family excursion, complete with your budding riders in tow. Here’s what you need to know before you go. You’ll need at least one experienced horse-camper in the mix. If

AS A JUDGE, understanding a horse’s balance and structure—and how they relate to performance—is critical. The conformation ideal is supposed to maintain breed standards, but that always goes back to balance and structure and how those factors affect

Every horse-and-rider duo is a work in progress. That’s what makes the journey so fulfilling—there are always areas to improve. Sometimes a recurring issue can cause frustration, though. If you continue to struggle with a particular maneuver and feel

Tyler Murray stood bewildered in the pasture, muck bucket and manure fork in hand. Looking around him incredulously, he turned to the man next to him. “So you’re telling me I have to drag this heavy thing around and pick up poop?” The corrections off

You mount up for your evening ride and, just like clockwork, your horse starts coughing. Three or four coughs as soon as you start trotting—then it’s over and you can get to work. It’s just something he’s always done. Nothing to worry about, right? W

On May 1, 2021, Salsa, a palomino mare in her mid-teens, arrived with a gelding named Chip at Mountain Valley Horse Rescue (MVHR) foster home. Although MVHR was full at the time they were taken in by the rescue as staff knew they couldn’t turn the pa

Riding teams are a fantastic way for children to meet other horse-crazy kids, and develop as riders and horsemen and -women. But there are so many different options, how do you choose the right one? Whether you’re an experienced horse owner looking f

The enchanting Dragoon Mountains, located in southeastern Arizona’s Coronado National Forest, is a land of startling contrasts and variety. It’s one of 12 scattered ranges, known as sky islands, that rise dramatically from the desert floor. A visitor

With great anticipation and hopes for the future, we welcome young horses into the world and into our lives. Getting that youngster from newborn foal to reliable riding partner is a journey requiring time, effort, knowledge, patience, and in many cas

‘When you’re having fun, that’s when the magic happens. I always tell people to slow down, forget about your timeline, and just read your horse so you can take the time he needs. I love being able to be a part of that, and I try to get people just to