Horse Care Essentials

Posted on October 30, 2020 by blogeditor

Horse owners will be the first person to tell you that taking care of an equine is no simple task. Thankfully there are commercial items that horse owners can buy that makes their lives a little easier. Below are some of the horse care essentials we’ve heard about over the years from the amazing horse owners that we’ve worked with in the past. 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!

Colorado Horse Care Essentials

Some horses tend to hold heat in the legs, that can make physical activity difficult. If you have this problem, Icetight should be in your tack room. This is a medicinal clay poultice that can help reduce the heat. Another great product to have on hand is AluShield. This is a liquid bandage. Accidents do happen and a one-size-fits-all bandage doesn’t always work for horses. Liquid bandages are great for wounds in hard to reach places. They keep the flies away and protects the area from getting dirty. These products are great, but not all horse care essentials need to be name brand.

If you train with your horse, a cooling liniment is great to use in between sessions. Similar to Icetight but not as strong, cooling liniments help horses heal after training. If you only take your horse on well-traveled trails, then your horse might not be shod (don’t have horseshoes). You should have a pair of horse boots around just in case you find yourself riding on rocky trails or pavement. Even shod horses can accidentally lose their horseshoes, so having horse boots on hand can help in emergencies.

Minimizing Barn Flies

Posted on August 4, 2020 by blogeditor

There are many types of barns and stables. These buildings are a must for horse owners, but they do come with there own challenges. Perhaps one of the most complaints that owners have is barn flies. If barn flies are ruining you and your horse’s summer, then check out these tips on minimizing these pests. Also, if you’re looking for horse properties in Colorado, we have the largest horse property database in the entire state. Contact us today.

How To Reduce Pesky Barn Flies

First of all, where is your manure pile is currently located? Manure is the biggest cause of barn flies, so your pile should be located away from the building. Another way to deter flies from hanging out is to make sure that the space is well-ventilated. Flies don’t like moving air, so use a fan to keep air circulating through your stables during the summer. This will also help to cool your stable and can improve your horse’s respiratory system. If you are designing a new barn, make sure to include many windows to promote cross ventilation.

Flies are also attracted to dirty feed and water buckets. During the winter you can get away without cleaning these daily, but during the summer it’s a must. If you have water troughs, clean these regularly as well. Barn flies often lay their eggs in stagnant water, and it can take between 4 days and two weeks to mature. If your horses are in their stalls during the day, then pick out the stalls regularly. Not only will this help to keep the stalls cleaner, but it will also mean that you’re removing the manure that attracts flies. Barn flies are mostly harmless, but they will cause restlessness in horses if they persist for long periods of time.

Horse Blanket Cleaning

Posted on August 4, 2020 by blogeditor

Does your horse use a horse blanket during the cold season? Leaving the Colorado winter, your horse blankets are probably still caked in mud and hair. Now that summer is here, it may be time to get your horse blankets a good cleaning before the snowy season rolls back around. The following tips can help you clean your horse blankets properly and lengthen their lifespan. If you are looking for a horse property in Colorado, contact one of our premiere horse-person realtors today.

Horse Blanket Cleaning Tips

Most horse blankets are waterproof, so you’ll need to invest in a detergent specifically engineered to clean them. If you use a traditional laundry detergent, you risk stripping the blanket of its waterproof coating. Also, a traditional washing machine isn’t made to withstand the heavy dirt load contained in horse blankets, so your blankets as much as possible before loading them into your washer. Remove clumps of dirt and hair with a stiff brush, and hose them off first. We’ve talked about washing your horse blankets, but what about drying them?

First of all, avoid putting horse blankets into a dryer—this can impact their waterproofing, or even worse it can leading to tearing over time. Hang your horse blankets and let them air dry. Horse blankets are typically too heavy for a traditional clothesline, so drape them over a fence or stall door. If blankets are even a little damp when you pack them up, they can get moldy, so make sure to leave them out for a long time to dry completely. If you’re cleaning your blankets months before winter, try putting some fabric softener sheets in with them. This will keep them smelling fresh and may help to deter pests from turning them into nests.

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.

First Aid Kits for Horses: The Alternatives

Posted on June 26, 2020 by blogeditor

Did you know that just like us there are first aid kits for horses? A well-stocked first aid kit in your tack room is important. Horse owners should always be prepared for equine injuries and illnesses. While the standard essentials like gauze pads and a thermometer are always helpful, in some situations more unusual items may be the key to helping your horse. First aid kits for horses should be updated periodically. When updating for kit, consider adding these less common items. They could just save your horse’s life.

Unusual Things for Your First Aid Kit

Consider adding the inner tube from a bicycle wheel to your first aid kit. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. You can cut a bicycle inner tube in half and use it as a tourniquet to help prevent blood loss from a leg injury. This stretchy material can make a great seal to a wound. Flashlights are essential in any first aid kit, but the winter cold will drain their batteries, and holding a flashlight while you’re treating your horse isn’t practical. Glow sticks offer an advantage because they don’t rely on battery power and can be placed anywhere.

Another item that you should always have in your first aid kit is duct tape. It might seem peculiar at first, but there are so many ways duct tape can help in an emergency. Not only is it great for temporary fixes with tack, it can also be used as a temporary bandage. If your looking for more horse safety tips, call us today. Colorado Horse Property is the leading horse property listing site in the entire state.

Horse Riding Safety Apps

Posted on June 26, 2020 by blogeditor

With the summer in full swing in Colorado, horse owners will be taking their four-legged companions out of the pasture. Horse riding safety is very important, especially if you ride regularly. It is safer to have someone ride along with you. However, with social distancing still a main priority, that might not always be possible. It is more important now that ever to note that falling poses a real problem for equestrians. But don’t worry. We’re in the 21st century and technology has your back. The free apps below could help you if you were to fall off your horse and were unable to phone for help.

Safety Apps for Horse Riding

The main app you’ll want to have on your smartphone before riding alone is the Ride With Me app. This app was developed by SmartPak. When you set up Ride With Me, you’ll be prompted to enter in some emergency contacts. The app will monitor your movement and if it detects that you’ve stopped moving, it will sound a warning alarm. If you’ve stopped moving on purpose, then this alarm can be turned off easily. However, if you don’t stop the alarm, the app will text your GPS location to your emergency contacts, letting them know that you need help.

You should also consider the Road ID app. Much like Ride With Me, this app tracks your location as you ride and its Stationary Alert Notification can notify your friends and family if you stop moving. Your emergency contacts can see your progress on any web browser. You can create a lock screen that includes emergency contacts, allergies, medical conditions, and your blood type for emergency responders in case you fall. Looking for horse properties for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with 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.