Cozy Fall Home Ideas

Posted on October 17, 2022 by blogeditor

Autumn has reached Colorado. The leaves have started to change color and the summer temperatures are starting to cool. For Colorado homeowners, this time of year marks a change of scenery in the household. Fun décor elements like fluffy throws and pillows, candles, and warm autumnal colors are common. Continue reading for some popular cozy fall home ideas. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Popular Fall Home Ideas

As the temperatures start to cool, make your home a warm oasis. Start outside with a thick fabric welcome mat by your front door. Inside, use long curtain panels to insulate your home from the cold. Also, use soft throw blankets on your sofa and chairs. Similarly, add a fuzzy rug to warm up your floor. Don’t forget your bedroom! Swap out lightweight summer sheets and blankets for heat-trapping flannel sheets and winter-weight comforters. Add a fleece throw across the foot of your bed to bring the entire room together.

If your home has a fireplace, autumn is its time to shine. Though many homes in Colorado have fireplaces, they often go unused. Cleaning a used fireplace is tedious and messy work. Instead of burning firewood, fill your fireplace with thick pillar candles and light those instead. Also, don’t forget to dress your fireplace mantel. Use natural elements like gourds, leaves, and small potted mums for a autumn feel. A basket filled with a comfy blanket or two adds texture and color to your hearth area.

Fall Leaves Dangerous For Horses

Posted on October 17, 2022 by blogeditor

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

It is autumn in Colorado, a magical time for the outdoors. The leaves have already begun to change colors and fall from branches. Though this is a beautiful sight for us, did you know that some fall leaves can be harmful to horses? Continue reading to find out which trees have dangerous fall leaves for horses. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Fall Leaves that are Dangerous for Horses

The first on our list of dangerous fall leaves is the Red Maple. Ingestion of one and a half pounds is toxic. Ingestion of three pounds or more is fatal. If you have a red maple on your property make sure your horse can’t graze near it. Eastern Black walnut is also toxic to horses. Unfortunately these are sometimes used as shavings in horse-stall bedding. Therefore, be careful when sourcing your stalls floor bedding. Signs of black walnut toxicity include laminitis, reluctance to move, increased temperature and heart rate, difficulty breathing, digital pulse, limb edema, and increased gut sounds.

Certain Oak trees can be toxic to horses. Remember to keep horses out of areas where wilted oak leaves and acorns fall. This type of foliage contains tannic acid which causes kidney damage and gastroenteritis. Symptoms of poisoning include lack of appetite, depression, constipation, and colic. Did you know that cherry and plum trees have cyanide-containing compounds. It is found in leaves, fruit, and pits of the trees. Though the fruits are not toxic to humans, they can be fatal to horses in large quantities. If your horse has been exposed to any of the toxic foliage discussed here, make sure to contact your vet immediately for treatment.

Should I Clip My Horse?

Posted on October 17, 2022 by blogeditor

You don’t have to be a horse owner to know that horses are naturally covered in hair. Though this hair is usually short, some breeds have more than others. Many new horse owners ask themselves the question: should I clip my horse? Continue reading for an answer from the experts. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Answering The Question: Should I Clip My Horse?

There are many reasons why you need to clip your horse’s hair. The most obvious reason is due to the weather. Even though hair insulates horses from the cold, if you work your horse during the winter you should actually cut their hair short. This allows body heat to escape, which prevents the horse from becoming too sweaty. If not properly cooled down after a ride, your horse will sweat and become chilled. A horse that becomes chilled may be more prone to colic, colds, and other serious health conditions.

In general, grooming a horse with thick hair is more strenuous. Clipping your horse can significantly cut down on time spent grooming. Aside from grooming, clipping your horse can have health benefits as well. For example, during the Colorado summer when it rains, trails often get muddy. Keeping the legs and fetlocks clipped short can help prevent conditions such as scratches and mud fever since the mud will have no hair to cling onto. The last thing you want is your horse to have dirty and matted hair. Clipping dried mud clumps is very hard and often results in you nicking your horse with the clippers. Removing the hair before this can occur is completely worth it!

The Horse From Sleepy Hollow

Posted on October 13, 2022 by blogeditor

Halloween is right around the corner, so let’s talk about the horse from Sleepy Hollow. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving. It originally appeared in a collection of 34 essays and short stories. One of the big characters in the story is the Headless Horseman. Continue reading to find out more about the antagonist’s steed. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Dare Devil Is The Horse From Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman, or the “Hessian,” rode a horse named Dare Devil. As the story goes, the Hessian appeared as a mercenary sent by German princes during the Revolutionary War. The Hessian says that the horse’s father was a pitch black Arabian stallion. Tim Burton adopted the book into a film of the same name. In this film, two Spanish Horses played Dare Devil. Therefore, judging from their manes, tails, and other features, Dare Devil was an Andalusian.

The story occurs in 1790 in the countryside around Tarrytown in a secluded glen known as Sleepy Hollow. Here raconteurs tell of the legend of the Headless Horseman. He is supposedly the restless ghost of a trooper whose head had been shot off by a stray cannonball during the Revolutionary War. The hessian rides with a pumpkin for a head, searching for his actual head. The story implies that the Horseman was really an extremely agile rider named Brom in disguise. Brom also uses a Jack-o’-lantern as a false head to scare the people of Sleepy Hollow.

Preparing Your Property For Horses

Posted on September 20, 2022 by blogeditor

Though most homes zoned for horses in Colorado are already suitable for them, that is not always the case. Horses need more than just land area. You’ll need a few outbuildings to serve as tack rooms, sheds, and more. Continue reading for more tips on preparing your property for horses. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Tip on Preparing Your Property For Horses

How much work to do will depend on what kind of property it is. Undeveloped property will likely require you to remove trees, boulders, and brush. When searching for a horse property in Colorado, keep the land’s natural resources in mind. For example, is the soil adequate for what you plan to do with the land? Does it have natural watershed protection? Also, make sure any foliage on the property is not harmful to horses. Otherwise you’ll have to make plans to eradicate them before moving in your horses.

Though most of the time it is wonderful here, Colorado is no stranger to harsh weather. Every season is different, so horse owners will want to establish a shelter for their animals suitable for all types of weather. This means you’ll need designating horse sheltering zones. Whether it’s an enclosed stable or a run-in shed, all shelters need to be draft-free and waterproof. Remember, humidity can cause overheating and distress in horses. You may even have to install circulating fans with automatic thermometers that help maintain comfortable temperatures.

Baling Your Own Hay

Posted on September 20, 2022 by blogeditor

Any horse owner will tell you how important it is to always keep fresh hay on your farm. Baling your own hay is a great way to save money. It may sound complicated, but it easier than you might think. All you’ll need is a wooden hand hay baler, twine, and of course hay. Continue reading for more details. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Baling Your Own Hay Tutorial

Don’t have a wooden hand hay baler? You can actually build one yourself. The most common design can even be found online. Once you have your baler, cut your twine approximately two and a half times the height of the baler. Loop your twin according to the baler instructions. Make sure to tie off the loose twine before putting in your hay. Now fill the baler with as much hay as you can pack in it. Depress the plunger on the baler, making sure to keep your fingers out of harm’s way.

You might have to depress the plunger a few times to get it fully compacted. To tie it off, lift the plunger and put in the open position. Depending on which hand baler you have, the method you tie the twine will differ. Therefore, make sure you follow the directions closely. Once the twine is tied tightly, you’re ready to release the bale and start over. Your homemade bale won’t be the typical giant circle that commercial balers produce. However, you’ll have neat and compact rectangles that will store easily in your shed or barn.

Treating Equine Back Pain

Posted on September 19, 2022 by blogeditor

Equine horse pain can be a serious problem when left untreated. When your horse exhibits signs of back pain, let your vet know as soon as possible. Diagnosing the root of the problem is key to preventing more serious injuries. Continue reading to learn more about how equine horse pain is treated. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Easing Equine Back Pain

Horse back pain could be due to a chronic injury or lameness. In many cases chiropractic care can help correct abnormal proprioception. This is the body’s unconscious perception of position and movement, which blocks nerve pathways. Chiropractic sessions prevent back soreness and chances for more injuries to occur. Another treatment for horse back pain is acupuncture. This procedure triggers endorphin release and sends calming signals to the nervous system. It also dissipates spasms, and brings blood flow to stimulate healing.

Have you ever heard of shock wave therapy? This procedure sends a pressure wave into the tissue. It increases the blood flow and new blood vessel formation, essentially helping the body heal from the inside. It also breaks up the scarring of tight, shortened muscles. With proper management and therapy, most horses with back pain can be rehabbed back. Having a good relationship with your horse clinician will make the process go smoothly. Make sure you exhaust any questions that you have about procedures before they take place.

Summer Horse Safety Tips

Posted on September 19, 2022 by blogeditor

Did you know that horses are very proficient sweaters? It’s true! This means that they are some of the most efficient animals at cooling themselves. However, they are not immune to the sun or heat stress. Though Colorado seems colder weather than many other states, it still gets very hot in the summer. Continue reading for some horse safety tips for the summer heat. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Horse Safety Tips

On hot summer days, make sure your horse has access to fresh water. Before exercising your horse, calculate the horse heat index. To do this add the day’s temperature in Fahrenheit plus the percentage of humidity. For example, if it’s 75 degrees outside with 65 percent humidity, the horse heat index is 140.  A horse heat index in the 120 to 150 range is okay to exercise in. Anything above 180 will increase your horse’s chance of heat stress.

During high horse heat indexes, make sure they get break frequently. How much your horse can exercise during high temperatures depends on many factors. If the horse is obese, thin, or has not been in regular work, begin with slow short workouts and very gradually increase time and intensity to allow the horse to acclimate. Many horse owners will avoid the hottest part of the day by riding in the early morning or later evening. Riding trails with plenty of tree shade or covered riding arenas are preferred.

Where to Swim This Summer

Posted on August 23, 2022 by blogeditor

It is summer in Colorado. It’s time to get outside and spend some of your free time in the water! Colorado gets a bad wrap for having a dry climate, but there are many wonderful places to go swimming. In fact, we’ve gotten more rain this summer than usual and some areas have seen an increase in elevation. Continue reading to find out where to swim this summer in Colorado. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

Where to Swim This Summer in Colorado

One of the most popular spots for swimming is Colorado is Jackson Lake. Jackson Lake is northeast of Denver, not far from Fort Morgan. Alongside Riverside and Empire, Jackson Lake is one of three reservoirs in the area. There are no lifeguards at the lake, so swim at your own risk. Aside from swimming, Jackson Lake is also an excellent place for boating, hiking, water-skiing, picnicking, and more. Jackson even has a park. The park is dog-friendly; just remember to bring your leash. The lake even offers ice skating and ice fishing during winter.

One of the best hidden swimming spots is the Big Dominguez Canyon. Big Dominguez Canyon is located in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area near Grand Junction, Colorado. The area has stunning scenery and a natural swimming hole with a waterfall. Also, there are petroglyphs on some canyon walls. It is one of the most unique swimming areas in the state. There is a short hike to the area, so make sure you’re up for an adventure when going to this spot.

Choosing The Right Tractor

Posted on August 23, 2022 by blogeditor

Do you use a tractor to maintain your horse property? Many horse owners use tractors to cut their pastures and to haul hay. However, tractors cost a lot of money and are a big investment. Continue reading for a few things to think about when looking for the right tractor for you. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

The Right Tractor For You

When researching for the right tractor for your horse property, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Generally speaking, the size of your Colorado horse property will help determine the type of tractor you’ll need. For example, a small piece of land may only require a small to medium sized tractor. These machines perform simple and small-scale tasks. A larger property requires more work to be done, including hauling, heavy lifting, or hail baling. Therefore, you’ll need a large tractor with a more substantial Horsepower.

Start by making a list of all the jobs that you will be using your tractor for. However, note that your list may change in the future. Many horse property owners buy tractors with more capabilities than they need. You never know when you’ll need more horsepower. You might need to haul away a tree that fell on your fence during a storm. Or perhaps you decide to get a trailer and offer seasonal hayrides to make some extra money in the fall. With that said, there is no shame is getting a smaller rig on the aftermarket. You can always upgrade to something bigger later.