Foxhunting

As fox hunting season is start and polo season is wrapping up, this old print seemed appropriate to post.                

The Truth About Bran from Erica The bran mash is milled wheat bran ... the stuff the they make bran muffins out of. The electrolytes I use is actually SUPER simple and vet recommended ... its a 50/50 mixture of lite salt and iodized salt. The bran keeps the "pipes" or intestines flowing and also acts as a carrier for the salt. It also takes a long time to digest and horses stay warm from the inside out. Then the salt keeps them drinking. Just like us when the weather changes or gets cold we/they don't drink as much which makes for all sorts of problems. Mix the bran and the salt together with warm water. Make it the consistency of minestrone soup. You'll find some horses like it more soupy. I find that the ponies are totally fine during the storms but it's the before and after that you will see something if they do get sick/colicky. It's also a good idea to do it in the heat of the summer too just with cold water. by Dr. Jessica Dunbar, Littleton Large Animal Clinic, as previously featured in the Arapahoe Hunt Hunting Horn Some horse owners commonly use bran mashes (wheat bran) as a supplement feed for their horses.  Bran is known for its high fiber content, but most of it is indigestible plant fiber including cell-wall lignan, cellulose and hemicellulose.[1]  Used indiscriminately, wheat bran may cause mineral imbalances contributing to orthopedic problems, as well as digestive upset.  Horses require more calcium in their diet than phosphorous.  Bran provides approximately ten times the amount of phosphorus over calcium. [2][3] If used regulars, the excessive phosphorus will cause the body to take calcium from

Blanket Size Examples Snickers 13.2 hands = 63" blanket Debon 15.3h = 74" blanket Dash, Rosa 76 Yukon 78 Reilly/River 16.3h = 82" blanket Blanketing 101 - Adapted to Colorado's Requirements, Mostly Taken From a Dover's Newsletter Here, in Colorado are the answers to these most commonly asked questions to help you make your horse comfortable this season.  For blanket repairs and cleaning, we think that Kerry Martin, KLM Blanket Cleaning and Repair is the best that we have ever found and reasonably priced at (720) 341-4955. 1. Why so many blanket weights? Horse clothing manufacturers offer a range of weights in their blanket collections to allow the perfect choice for every horse based on its personal needs and its environmental conditions. The weight of a blanket refers to grams of poly fill between the inner and outer layers. The fill insulates a horse from the cold by trapping its body heat; the higher the number of grams of fill, the warmer and heavier the blanket will be. Lightweight turnout blankets from some manufacturers have 100 grams of fill in the center. Other manufacturers refer to their turnout sheets as lightweights, so be sure to take note of fill when shopping for a light blanket. Mid-weight or medium weight turnouts have 180 to 200 grams of fill. Heavyweight turnouts typically have 300 to 440 grams of fill. For Colorado, we recommend that you get a turnout sheet and a heavy weight waterproof turnout blanket.  You can double layer them when it is really cold. If you don't have a groom that lives on site, the Horseware® HorsePal Monitor and App, exclusively FREE with a Rambo blanket purchase, can help you understand and predict your horse’s blanketing needs

  Click this link for the full story:  Short Legs Big Fun - Paradise Valley Beagles, Covertside Summer 2015

This is a useful article this time of year, which interviews Marvin Beeman, DVM, MFH, on shoeing your horse for winter conditions, such as for foxhunting.  It has instructions for your farrier, on both welded borium studs and borium tipped nails.  Borium and borium nails are available from Oleo Acres: http://www.oleoacresfarriersupply.com/prod/nails.html We have had good luck with Duratrack Borium Nails, Mustad borium, or Capewell Borium head nails, but when it really snows in December-March (and more importantly when it melts but the North-facing slopes are slick), you'll be wishing you had the welded borium studs and not just the nails. "Borium" when people speak of "borium shoes" is tungsten carbide shaped into a soft steel rod.  The rod is 1/8" to 1/4" thick. To apply borium to a shoe, you need a set of acetylene welding torches, welding glasses, welding gloves, a safe work area, and the skill and training to weld. To apply borium, your farrier will first shape the shoes to fit the hooves, just as you would for summer shoeing. Before you nail the shoes on, add the borium as follows: Stack the shoes on top of each other, which helps avoid wasting heat. As you add borium to the top shoe, the next shoe down heats up, as well.  Work on one spot at a time. Add a spot of borium to each heel and two spots at the toe, just ahead of the first nail hole. Get the spot up to welding heat and heat the borium rod at the same time. When the steel begins to puddle, pull the welding tip away, adding borium as you go back and forth with the welding tip and the borium.  For a little traction,

Two new publications for juniors are now available from the Master's of Foxhounds of America! My First Foxhunt Coloring Book is a fun, illustrated coloring book for kids to learn about foxhunting. Visit the MFHA website or Facebook page each month for a "page-a-month" free download. The Kids' Guide to Foxhunting is a lighthearted introduction to what kids need to know to get involved and stars our favorite model. Order your copy today Click here for a free preview: MFHA Kids Book 10-17  

Tips on tying a stock tie or four-fold tie, notes on clipping horses, and how to care for your quality leather tack--- Here are three of our favorite tips and tricks for tying a stock tie or four-fold tie, notes on clipping horses, and how to care for your quality leather tack. How to Tie a Hunting Stock Notes on Clipping Horses by Dr. Beeman 2013 Notes on Clipping Horses from AH and Pony Club in Color The Care of Quality Leather Tack https://www.proequinegrooms.com/tips/clipping-your-horse/troubleshooting-horse-clipper-problems-and-how-fix-them/