Plants Poisonous to Horses

Posted on May 10, 2021 by blogeditor

Colorado horses are amazing creatures. First of all, they are resistant to the cold, except in cases of severe winter storms. They are also great for therapy and connecting with nature. Though horses seem indestructible, there are some specious of plants that stop them in their tracks. Here is a list of plants poisonous to 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.

Plants Poisonous to Horses

Summer brings a lot of plants poisonous to horses, many of which grow wild in Colorado. These include wilted red maple leaves, black walnuts, and oak leaves. Also, keep your horse away from yew. The yew comes in different forms all of which are under the taxus species. They include the Japanese yew, American yew, English yew, western yew, oleander and rose laurel. Experienced horse owners are able to spot these plants from a mile away.

Rhododendrons and azaleas are also bad news for horses. These are beautiful flowers that you’ll love, but your horses will not. Also stay away from white snakeroot, richweed, white sanicle, jimmy weed, rayless goldenrod, burrow weed, yellow star thistle, and St. Barnaby’s thistle. Your vet may ask you if your horse has been exposed to these plants, therefore being familiar with them is important. The good news is that all of these plants are easy to remove from your land. Many of them are nice to look at and can be relocated to areas your horses don’t have access to like along your driveway or up against your home.

Pest Prevention

Posted on January 25, 2021 by blogeditor

Pest prevention is an important part of securing your barn. There are several important reasons why you should do this. The biggest reason is disease prevention. Rodents are known to carry several diseases, many of which are transferable to both horses and humans. These pests can contaminate feed with diseases such as salmonella, leptospirosis, and trichinosis. Rodents also carry fleas, mites, and ticks. Here are a few things that you can do to prevent these pests from infiltrating your barn. 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.

Pest Prevention For Horse Owners

Firstly, think about your feed storage. Plastic and wood containers are vulnerable to being chewed through by rodents. Try keeping your feed and supplements in rodent-proof containers such as metal trashcans with secured lids. Always sweep up any feed spills as these can attract the pests. Also, check the floor of your feed room regularly for holes. You can temporarily plug holes with with steel wool but ultimately should plug them with caulk. Windows and doors need to shut tightly with no gaps around the frame.

Now that you’ve secured the area, it’s time to be proactive. Barn cats and owls are a good solution for some horse owners. Just remember that these animals will need more to eat than rodents. If you aren’t looking to take care of extra animals, traps are also useful. Traditional spring traps or sticky pads placed near walls or holes work the best. Most horse owners that we know don’t use poison traps as they can inadvertently harm other animals.

New Year’s Resolutions For Horse Owners

Posted on December 31, 2020 by blogeditor

New Year’s celebrations represent change and new opportunities to grow. Though the pandemic will halt the usual festivities this year, not even a virus can stop good old American tradition. I’m talking about New Year’s resolutions of course. However, this tradition does get a bad wrap because of the low numbers of follow through. In fact, an estimated 60% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions, while only 8% stick with it. But what if your resolutions include horse-related goals?

Sticking To Your Word

The key to setting New Year’s goals that you’ll stick with is making them achievable. When setting New Year’s goals we often go too big because we figure there’s an entire year to get things done, but unfortunately that’s not how humans work. When it comes to setting goals, being very specific is best. Also, if your goals involve things that you love (i.e. your horses), you’re more likely to follow through with them. So instead of saying, “I want to be a cowboy this year,” reword it to include the things you care about like “I want to be a better horse owner and rider.” You’re on your way, but remember to be specific. What specific goals can you achieve that will lead you to accomplishing the bigger objective?

Self-esteem also plays a very big role in keeping up with New Year’s resolutions. For example, if you don’t believe you’re a good rider then you’re never going to improve simply by saying it’s your resolution. Your specific goals should include spaces for you to celebrate achievements. For example, “After completing a riding training course, me and my horse are getting a new shiny saddle.” You might not be the best student your trainer has tutored, but you completed a goal and should be awarded for sticking with it. Positive reinforcements are another key factor to a successful New Year’s resolution. 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 Horse Tensions

Posted on November 2, 2020 by blogeditor

Just like tensions found in human athletes, horse tensions can greatly reduce their ability to train. In extreme cases, horses are so tense that they cannot perform certain maneuvers. This can lead to frustration and anxiety, which in turn leads to increased tension. Fortunately, there are some things horse owners can do to stop this cycle. Also, are you looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado? Colorado Horse Property has the largest database of horse properties in Colorado. We also have a staff of horse-person realtors ready to help. Contact Colorado Horse Property today!

Dealing With Horse Tensions

Depending on how bad the tension has become, dealing with horse tension is a long road. Tension can be physical and mental. Before you can deal with any tension, first figure out the cause. Start by evaluating your horse’s fitness and confidence. If these aren’t at a good level it could be due to the quality of training that they’re getting. Make sure your horse is not getting overworked and getting enough warm-up time before training. Equipment or tack that doesn’t fit on your horse properly can cause pain and tension. Sometimes it helps to get an outside perspective on things, so ask another skilled trainer to take a look at all the pieces.

Once you’ve pinpointed the cause, always tackle the mental tension first. There’s more work to do than just simply removing the physical cause. Fear of the problem returning will cause your horse to stay tense. When your horse tenses up, take the time to comfort them and slowly remove that fear. Your horse will learn that they can look to you to release pressure and will be more inclined to relax.

How To Introduce New Horses To Your Herd

Posted on August 4, 2020 by blogeditor

Growing your horse family is rewarding in so many different ways, but it can be stressful at first. Horse herds are a complex hierarchy that offers security, social status, and safety to its members. When a new horse is introduced to the herd outside of breeding, all of these things have to be redefined internally. Though the horses will do this naturally, there are a few things that you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly. Looking for a horse property in Colorado? Contact one of our horse person realtors today.

Tips On Adding New Horses To Your Herd

Before bringing a new horse into your established herd, make sure you know the current dynamics of the herd. You should know which horses are the alphas and which are more submissive. Put the new horse in a stall next to a beta horse from the herd and introduce them to each other slowly. This way, when you introduce the new horse to the rest of the herd, they’ll already have a buddy to rely on.

Place the new horse in a paddock with his buddy where they can see and perhaps smell the other horses, but without sharing a fence line. Soon you’ll be able to place the new horse with his buddy into the pasture with the other horses. With an established hierarchy in place, alpha horses will not like new horses getting between them and their food. Scheduling the first few full introductions after feeding time will reduce fighting. Alternatively, place widely separated hay piles. Watch over the herd closely during these first full interactions. Unattended meetings could go wrong and you might need to be there as a distraction. If a problem occurs, don’t feel bad about going back to placing the new horse and his buddy in a separate paddock for a while. Horses are social beings just like us and they’ll accept the new horse eventually.

Are You Riding Fit?

Posted on August 4, 2020 by blogeditor

August in Colorado is prime riding season for horse owners and lovers. Following the cold season, riders can find themselves out of practice and peak athletic condition. Before hopping back into the saddle, here are a few tips to get you riding fit. Also, if you’re riding alone because of social distancing practices, try some of these horse safety apps. Remember, if you’re looking for a horse property in Colorado, we have the largest database of horse properties of any other site.

Tips To Get You Back Into The Saddle

One of the things that make experienced riders fit, is their heels. You can flex your heels by standing with them off the edge a surface, like stairs. Find a suitable surface in your home and practice dropping your body weight down on your heels. Do this exercise for just a few minutes a day to help remind your heels how to drop down when in the stirrups. Over the holidays, most of us skip the gym to spend more time with family and friends. To get riding fit, you’ll probably want to dust off that membership card. Focus on strength-training exercises, work out your core and add planking, leg squats, and exercises that target your shoulders into your routine.

Cardio is important for equestrians, because it helps increase endurance while riding. There are many ways to do cardio. You can hop on the treadmill or go running or swimming. As long as you’re raising your heart rate, then you’re on the right track. Incorporate cardio workouts at least two or three times a week. Another important aspect of being riding fit is balance. Incorporate some balance exercises regularly into your exercise routine. There are many balance-enhancing exercises, including using a wobble board, standing on one foot, walking from heel to toe, and more.

Should I Mow My Horse Pastures?

Posted on June 26, 2020 by blogeditor

There are many people out there who think that horse owners do not have to mow their pastures. Horses eat grass, so horse pastures take care of themselves, right? Actually, this is a common misconception. Any good horse owner will tell you that mowing your pasture is an important part of your routine maintenance. Here are just a few of the benefits of mowing your pastures.

Here’s Why You Should Mow Your Horse Pasture

Benefit number one: weed management. Horses love to eat grass, but they will always avoid weeds. When weeds go uneaten and the grass around them is consumed by your horses, they are allowed to grow more freely. If you do not mow your horse pastures, the weeds will grow so big that they start to choke out the grass. Pastures not maintained can easily become more weeds than grass. Mowing weeds helps to keep them from going to seed, while reducing their height and giving the grass around them a fighting chance.

Another great benefit to mowing your pasture is to regulate horse grazing patterns. Taller grass isn’t as sweet as shorter grass. Poor pasture maintenance will lead to your horses overgrazing their preferred areas of short grass, leaving only the tall grass in patches. Fortunately, you can break your horses’ grazing patterns simply by mowing. Mowing the taller grass makes it more palatable and appealing to your horses, encouraging them to graze these previously untouched areas. Are you looking for horse properties for sale in Colorado that include pastures? Contact Colorado Horse Property today and talk to one of our horse-person realtors.

Monitoring Horses in 2020

Posted on June 26, 2020 by blogeditor

A lot has changed when it comes to the modern cowboy. For one thing, technology has improved monitoring horses. If you want to improve the effectiveness of your horse training programs, there are amazing new monitoring systems out there that can help. One of the top systems in monitoring horses is Equisense Motion. Equisense Motion is a system that helps you to monitor your horse’s health and soundness during workouts. A sensor attaches to your girth to record your training data, then sends it to an app that guides you on how to measure your horse’s progress.

Elite Horse Monitoring System

This technology can monitor the time you spend at each lead and at each gait during a session. It also measures the number of transitions and jumps you make and your horse’s symmetry at the trot, which can indicate emerging lameness issues. Equisense Motion can even factor in the cadence and regularity of your horse’s gait. There’s also an app for the system to make your training experience even better.

The app keeps all the data about each session, so you can review it. With this information, you can tailor your future sessions and get the most out of your training. We know that your horses’ health is a top priority and the app focuses on it as well. You can record information about vaccines, farrier appointments, and vet procedures to create a record of your horse’s health. The app also has free training exercises to keep your rides interesting and productive. Are you looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado with enough space to training your horses? Contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

5 Unique Horse Riding Tips

Posted on April 30, 2020 by blogeditor

Riding horseback often looks easy when a trained rider is at the reins, but it is actually one of the hardest activities to master. One of the biggest problems that new riders face is getting into their heads too much. However, there are some horse riding tips to circumvent overthinking in the saddle. Number one, make your focus more physical. Focus on the feel of your horse, or the way your body is moving. In other words, pay attention to your senses more than the voices in your head.

Get Out of Your Head

The point is to think less, but if you can’t stop your thoughts at least change what you’re thinking about. The second and third solutions are imagery. Imagery is a great way to improve your riding. Think about taking a leisurely walk when you want to ride slowly and think about running when you want to ride faster. Alternatively, imaging a song or sound bite can help. If you are practicing a light trot with your horse, think of a song with a slow and steady tempo. For more aggressive riding, think about a song with a quicker tempo.

Horse riding tips number four: use a catchphrase. This might sound a little silly, but thinking of a phrase that gets you in a specific mood could really help shape your confidence. The best part is you don’t have to say it out loud. Thinking “ride like the wind” or even “high-ho silver” is enough to get your head in the right place for riding. The last and most important tip is to think quicker. Doing any type of training at home, we have the space and time to make mistakes. We can stop what we’re doing and think about how we can do it better. When riding you often have to make quick, split decisions. You’ll still make mistakes. However, once your skills improve, being about to make quick decisions will be a very big asset. If you are looking to buy or sell horse property in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and talk to one of our horse-person realtors.

Winter Horses

Posted on January 27, 2020 by blogeditor

Horse owners are naturally going to over-prepare their horses for the winter. It’s inevitable. Though closing the barn windows and turning up the heater seems like a good idea, it might not be. All horses are winter horses; they are equipped to handle most winters.

For instance, horses are naturally claustrophobic and their mental well-being suffers when confined. Though they will need to take shelter some times, horses instinctively need open spaces. Standing in a stall for long periods of time can be damaging to your horse’s health. Just like humans, it is not good for horses to be sedentary. It leads to ulcers, colic, and other digestive disorders, not to mention obesity. Good horse owners will know that having some sort of shelter is a must. However, using it should be your horse’s choice, not yours. Winter horses will always take shelter when they need to.

Are Horse Blankets Necessary?

Drive through any horse community in Colorado, like Elizabeth or Salida, during the winter. Some horses will have blankets on and some will not. Putting a blanket on a horse will vary from situation to situation. Overall, your horse’s coat is fully equipped to keep it insulated against the cold in most cases. As long as they can go into their stall during strong winds and wet weather, your horse is able to keep sufficiently warm in the coldest weather. Starting thinking of your horses as winter horses.

So, when are horse blankets necessary? Horses who shiver in the cold, are underweight, aging, ill, or otherwise frail, may feel better with extra covering. However, keep a check on your horse. Are they sweating under the blanket? You don’t want to inhibit your horse’s coat from its natural ability to protect against the cold. So, if your horse is sweating or exhibiting signs of discomfort due to the blanket, make sure to take the blanket off. For more information, contact Colorado Horse Property today.