2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse so lets make some progress with how we care for and treat our amazing equines.
On my wish list to see this year is:
- Allow Bitless Bridles to be used in all equestrian sports – no discrimination for those who want to keep metal out of their horse’s mouth.
- Better guidelines from animal welfare organisations about how horses (and other equines) should be kept to give them the five freedoms and allow them to live as close to nature as possible.
- Allow barefoot and booted horses to compete in all equestrian sports including racing.
- A better solution to managing wild horses especially brumbies and mustangs that doesn’t involve taking away their freedom and families, or killing them from helicopters.
- The banning of rolkur in dressage, along with spurs!
- Better outcomes from reports to the RSPCA of neglected and abused horses.
- There are many more causes to promote and take part in – what are some of yours?
Free Book! How To Care for a Rescue Horse
If you are looking for a horse, or a companion for your lonely horse, consider a rescue horse first.
Rescue horses have different needs. Some may be injured, or have wounds, while others may “only” be skinny. Whatever their circumstances, rescue horses need worming and feed, and these two very things, if not carried out correctly, may harm or even kill the horse.
Here’s a freebie for those that want to do their bit in rescuing a horse. How to Care for a Rescue Horse by Dr Ann Nyland - many thanks to Ann for making this freely available.
This concise and to the point how-to book also takes the reader through several pictorial case histories.
FROM THE AUTHOR
“I’ve had numerous requests from people who have just rescued a horse, and are at a loss, to produce a little quick-reference book without all the detailed and numerous End Notes of my other horse care books. I produced this little book to help such people. If you would like copious references to academic journals, please refer to the End Notes in my other books. I produce these horse care books solely as a service to horses everywhere.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. A. Nyland is well known for her best selling books on horse care. She is the Director of the registered charity Morrigan Horse Rescue and Rehab Inc. (Australia), which takes on bad case (wounded or injured) horses. Dr. Nyland is well known for her replication of the Bronze Age horse training text, The Kikkuli Text, replicating the ancient 7 month fitness regime with Arabian horses in the early 1990s in a University trial.
New Product in the Store
New 3cm hole net.
We have just added another Greedy Steed slow feeder haynet to their range - the 3cm Premium in large size that takes 3 biscuits of hay. Greedy Steed hay nets were designed with the good doer in mind. The smaller 3cm holes ensure your mini, pony or net savvy horse will slow down their hay consumption to be more like grazing.
The smaller holes reduce wastage especially when soaking hay or feeding compressed hay. Great for feeding in wet or windy weather as there is less wastage of your expensive hay. Also perfect for donkeys, goats and alpacas. Get yours here.
We also now have the 4cm hole Greedy Steed nets in half bale size for those that prefer the knotless braided netting.
The Half Bale size fits 6-7 biscuits of hay and measures 80 x 90 cm (31 x 35″).
The drawstring is made from polyester rope, the same as used in quality rope halters, which is easy to tie and untie. The drawstrings are long to make tying up a breeze.
Some New Year Inspiration
From Mosie Trewhitt Liberty Horsemanship - ”Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.
Mosie and Annie
I think with our horses, we tend to neglect one essential key to true love and it is the “without expectation”. No matter how much we may think friendship means to us – we expect to ride – we expect them to hand over their bodies – we expect them to obey without question. And we have been taught that when our expectations are not met, our friends need to be corrected and punished. We treat riding as a right of mankind – but in reality, it is simply an expectation we decided we deserve.
There was a time before culture shaped our perspective where all we wanted was to love the horse. Remember back to the time you first laid eyes on her magical beauty and free spirit – your first desire was not to control, break, or dominate the horse. Rather, if you were anything like me or all of the other equestrians I know, the first moment you saw a horse in motion, you immediately fell in love. You wanted to run wild with her, learn true freedom from her, and let your soul fly along with her – you desired to be her friend. But more than anything, you wanted to love her.
Only once people taught us to did we start expecting things in return for our love.
But
To love truly is to truly love without expecting anything in return – that is real love. That is the nature of real, pure, graced love whether it be with another human or with a horse – it doesn’t matter.
To love is to give.”