This deluxe seven-day pack trip covers the essentials of horsepacking in the wilderness— with the Golden Trout Wilderness of the High Sierra as your laboratory. The instructor will discuss equipment, emergency veterinary care, feeding and managing livestock in the backcountry.

Dr Kendra Coulter, Professor of Labor Studies at Brock University, reported on her recently released study on horse farm employers and employees in Ontario, showing that 50% of stable workers reported earning minimum wage or less and almost half of the workers are improperly classified as independent contractors, and are thus are not protected by the Employee Standards Act.

Introducing the bit is traditionally one of the most important training procedures in a young horse’s life. The majority of our performance horses are ‘bitted,’ so this process forms a key part of the foundation training for many horses. Investigating procedures to optimize this introduction could lead to benefits in performance and, in some instances, improvements in welfare.

Horses sometimes lick and chew during training and this has often been interpreted as a sign that the horse is learning or showing ‘submission’ to the trainer. However, a new study suggests that this non-nutritive licking and chewing behavior is a natural behavior that is shown after a stressful situation.

The old saying “no hoof, no horse” still holds true. No matter what your horse’s job is, his feet provide the foundation for soundness and performance.

However, Yew is extremely toxic to horses. Consumption of as little as six ounces of fresh Yew can often result in sudden death of a horse. Additionally, all members of the Yew family should be considered highly toxic to horses.

Today’s drivers are distracted by cell phones, iPads, and GPS touch screens, which has dramatically increased rear-end collisions. Horses enter and exit at the rear of most trailers making additional protection and exits a necessity, and may save your horses’ lives. Here is what you need to know: 

CENTER LOAD or HEAD TO HEAD refers to a four or six horse gooseneck trailer that has side by side straight stalls in the rear of a trailer that face forward with the same configuration in the front except the stalls face towards the rear. A large center area will have one or two side ramps for loading and unloading. This style also allows each horse to be loaded and unloaded individually.

Lawyers do not have to prove that the defendant had intent to harm the animals-simply that he or she harmed them. The maximum fine for someone found guilty of animal neglect in Kentucky is 365 days imprisonment per animal (terms that can run concurrently) and a $500 per-animal fine.

#1- Dirt is a natural part of the equine diet. It contains minerals in bio-available form that the horse needs for various metabolic functions. Some of the minerals, iron for example, are more utilizable from the soil than when added to feeds or stored in forages. Horses that are constantly stabled and deprived of minerals naturally found in dirt may develop deficiencies even when supplied with those minerals in processed feeds.