[Alex Hassinger]

Shelly,

 

Sorry for the delay in responding. This would be a situation for your veterinarian to do a complete physical examination of, and to determine the extent of this injury. Let us know how you do. Thanks!

[Alex Hassinger]

This could be indicative of a high, hind end lameness situation. Watching your horse and how he carrys/sets his tail can be a good diagnostic tool, and was for me on the racetrack. Sometimes the most subtle changes can indicate something might be wrong and your horse is altering his/her weight to compensate. You are very in tune with your horse. It is most important to have your veterinarian do a complete physical exam and share with him these abnormal characteristics. Thanks and good luck.

[Alex Hassinger]

In some regions, early fall brings a bumper crop of bot flies, and with them a rash of bot fly eggs that you’ll want to remove. Larvae that matured inside the horse and exited via manure in the spring are now hatching into flies. In the next step in their life cycle, these flies will lay eggs on strategic locations on a horse. When he licks the eggs they hatch, a new generation of larvae enters his mouth and the process is repeated.

You most likely deworm your horse against bots to kill the internal larvae, but you can further diminish their numbers by removing eggs before they have a chance to hatch.

Bot eggs are sticky and yellowish, shaped like small grains of rice. They are commonly deposited on the knees and forearms up to the chest. The eggs can be removed using on of two tools.

On option is a bot knife, which has a rounded blade with a serrated edge. Place the knife above the egg and scrape downward. The egg will fall to the ground, so be sure to do this far from where your horse grazes.

It’s best to consult your veterinarian in regards to the proper worming program for your horse.

Thanks for your question.

[Alex Hassinger]

Decotah,

I have very successfuly used Re-Borne, whole liquid bovine colostrum, on horses like your explaining. This product will help bloom out his coat and to help him increase his weight and lean muscle. Re-Borne is all natural and very easy to dispense on your horses food or in their mouth, actually horses love the taste of it. It will do a number of things; first it will give a boost to his immune system which will help with his bad hair coat. Second, because of the growth factors it will help to increase his appetite and promote lean muscle mass, and will not make him high. This is a great overall supplement due to the 4 main growth factors, proteins, anti-oxidants and all constituents from colostrum. This can be just a situational application or used everyday, depending on what your dealing with. I personally have had huge successes with the depleted type horse and using Re-Borne as a daily supplement to keep horses at their optimum health.

Thanks!

[Alex Hassinger]

• 
  The Tarpan is a prehistoric wild horse type.
  The Tarpan ranged from Southern France and Spain eastward to central Russia. Cave drawings of Tarpan horses can be found in France and Spain, and artifacts showing this breed can be found in Southern Russia where this horse was domesticated by Scythian nomads in about 3000 B.C.
  The original wild Tarpan died out during the late 1800’s. The last Tarpan horse died an a Ukranian game preserve at Askania Nova in 1876.

[Alex Hassinger]

There is not one certain way to train a horse, but there are definitive ways to care for a horse so that you and your horse are safe. Horse training is really not something you can go to school for, although there are so many horseman that offer their services so a young person has the opportunity to learn from experts in their breed or discipline.

When I started I took riding lessons, then got a job grooming on farms in Kentucky, then got a job grooming in California on the racetrack, then got a job as a foreman and eventually an assistant trainer. I was an assistant trainer for 6 years before I took out my license to be a thoroughbred horse trainer. So what I am saying is; don’t rush it and postion yourself around the best horseman you can find.

There are now colleges and universities that offer Equine Managemant programs, but I believe to become a trainer in a specific discipline you will need to work with accomplished trianers within that discilpine or breed. Start at the bottom and work your way up and it will make you a better horseman.

[Alex Hassinger]

Bits, bits, bits and more bits. When you talk about bits for horses the list is endless of the different kinds of bits to be used for different reasons. Also, there is a variety of bits to be used for different disciplines. A bit for a racehorse will be different that one used for western disciplines, than will be used for hunters/jumpers, than pleasure horses.

It is extremely important early on for a horse to be introduced to a bit in the right manner. Mostly a d-bit snaffle, or snaffle of some king that is hinged in the middle is the first bit to be introduced and used. The reason is this bit is easy on a horses mouth and because of the hinge it gets a horse to be responsive to the bit, meaning “working ” the bit in their mouth so they undetsand of the “give and take” and also when to take the bit up and release. This offfers the horse an opportunity to move the bit and to “develope” their mouth so they understand further control as they age. It is imperative that a horse has a good experience early on with fitting, use and overall general control that comes with it.

A bit must be offered slowly to a horse and fitted properly. When a bit is in a horses mouth and fitted properly you should see 3 wrinkles in the skin in the corner of their mouth. Also, you should be able to fit the width of your hand inside the cheek piece that runs up between their eye and mouth. A bit that is too loose or tight can be a hazard and dangerous.

A good experience early on with bit fitting and education will help lay the gound work for a horse having a “good mouth” for better control.

[Alex Hassinger]

Alfalfa hay is very rich in protein so you would want to be careful feeding too much to your older horse. If he is doing well on the grass mix that is probably fine. Most times staright alfalfa hay is fed in small portions even to younger horses. It is very rich and can give horses diarrhea. On the racetrack we would feed straight timothy hay and a “flake” of alfalfa in the morning and matybe at night, but not much more than that.

[Alex Hassinger]

Old Freinds is a great organization run by some very caring people. I went for visit this last winter and I was very excited to see an “old friend” named Dinard. The horses are so well cared for and they get a lot of visitors, which I think they like!!

[Alex Hassinger]

Thanks Sylvie!

[Alex Hassinger]

Thanks JackieH!

[Alex Hassinger]

The LubriSyn Family of Products is very proud to be a National Sponsor and Exclusive Joint Supplement for the American Paint Horse Assoc. You can go to http://www.apha.com and see their website and also call them if needed. They are a great association with a great management team that can help you with any questions you might have.

Their are three different markings asscociated with the “paint horse” and to be elibible for registry a Paint’s sire and dam must be registered the APHA, the AQHA or the Jockey Club(thoroughbreds).

 

[Alex Hassinger]

With thoroughbreds we very often run horses when they are two years old. Now since most horses are not fully mature until they are 5 years old, it can be difficult to train and race a two year old. It is the responsibility of the trainer to judge if a specific horse is capable of handling the rigors of training and running as a two year old. If they aren’t they are usually kept in light training until they mature and brought back for racing as a 3 year old.

In many other breeds and discipilines it is very common to see horses competing into their teens and even their 20’s! LubriSyn is a sponsor of the National High School Association and we very often see kids riding horses that are in their 20’s, because of the simple fact that these horses are very experience and safe for these kids to compete on.

With the help of LubriSyn and Re-Borne we have seen many rope horses, in particular ,regain some of their competitive edge and be successful well into their early 20’s.

[Alex Hassinger]

The first thing to look at in growing hay would be where is the hay going to be grown? What region of the country and what climate is the first thing to determine, and what hay would best be grown in that region. It might be a good idea to have your soil tested and to speak with local farmers and your feed and ranch store to see what would grow best in your area.

Farm and ranch stores will most likely sell the best seed that is suited for that area.

[Alex Hassinger]

The thoroughbred racing world has an old adage that says; “breed the best to the best and hope for the best”. I think this would hold true in any breed. The main goal is to pass on the best mental, physical and conformational traits of that breed, without using horses that will pass on mental, physical, and conformational weaknesses. People would refer to this as “weakening the breed”

One must take in all the important factors before breeding  including age, conformation and certain “faults” that might not want to be passed on. Also, it is important to consider “breeding soundness” of both mare and stallion and to research certain “nicks” or patterns that have been successful in certain breeds.

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