There are different theories about how horses survived before domestication and the invention of the metal horseshoe. Originally thought of as a way to protect hooves, some people now believe that horseshoes do more harm than good. So, what did horses do before shoes? Having healthy hooves to run away from predators was integral to…
If you have noticed that your horse has a skin condition, it’s best to get the vet to check it over. Skin conditions in horses can often be overdiagnosed as rain rot. But if the vet has confirmed that your horse has rain rot, what does this mean? How should you handle the situation and…
Exactly how horses are affected by exposure to rain is a question many horse owners have. Do horses get cold in the rain? How much rain can they comfortably handle? Are they prone to any illnesses after standing in the rain? Let’s dive right into the answer. The short answer is that horses get cold…
Horseshoes are a piece of specially shaped material fitted to a horse’s hoof. The use of shoes is important to the everyday ridden horse – but do racehorses wear shoes? Their goal is to be the fastest horse on race day; do they wear shoes to help their performance? Nearly all racehorses wear shoes, but…
Over the last few decades horse passport systems have gradually been implemented across the world. These days a horse passport it’s just one of the bits of paperwork that you may need if you are thinking about owning a horse. But exactly what is a horse passport? A horse passport is a document that is…
Horseshoes are a piece of riding equipment that has been debated for some time. Some owners shoe their horses because it supports their hooves, while others say going barefoot is better for hoof health. Since the hoof is the horse equivalent to a human foot, some equestrians may find themselves asking- do horseshoes hurt horses?…
Equestrians will often talk about warm-blooded and thoroughbred horses. But what do these terms mean? And when you compare warmblood vs thoroughbred horses, how do they differ? Warm blood and thoroughbred horses are different types of horses. But they are also terms referring to different categories. Thoroughbred horses are a particular breed of horse, that…
If you are interested in different breeds of horses, you will probably have come across the term ‘stud book’. A particular type or breed of horse is sometimes referred to as being ‘registered’ in a stud book. But what is a stud book for horses? A stud book is a registry or an official record…
What is horse riding called? Horse riding covers a wide range of disciplines and interests. In many cases, this dictates what horse riding is called in that particular instance. So – what you call horse riding really depends on where you are, and what you do when you ride your horse. That said, common names…