Sustainable Energy from Manure

Posted on June 16, 2022 by blogeditor

One of the jobs horse owners dread is manure and waste management. This type of work increases exponentially depending on how many horses you have. But what if there was a way to make a sustainable energy source from your horse waste? In Finland, this is exactly what is being done. Continue reading for more information on this relatively new form of energy harvesting. 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.

Manure Makes Sustainable Energy

Current heat recovery technology works well and is gaining momentum in local equine shows and amongst farmers. It is the hope of some organizations that this will be a sustainable energy source that could replace fossil fuels. The idea is simple. Composting horse manure creates fertilizer and generates heat as a by product. This heat energy converts to a more usable power for homes. A rotary drum composting mechanism, equipped with a heat recovery system, generates the energy. The system converts energy until the waste is fully composted within a week. The recovered energy heats nearby rooms and water.

However promising, manure management as an energy source faces some obstacles. At the moment, the technology only works on a small scale. Managing moisture is one of the key challenges. Also, manure is over 80% water. Therefore, it has a very low heating value when moist. One solution is mixing the manure with wood chips to overcome the humidity problem. Today, the Finns are researching more efficient ways to solve this problem and harness the potential energy. It is only a matter of time. Though Finland currently spearheads the movement, the entire world of horse owners are watching.

History of The Riding Helmet

Posted on April 11, 2022 by blogeditor

Ever wondered how the riding helmet got its start? In the 1950s, racing associations mandated jockeys to wear a cap. However, that changed after a serious head injury at the 1978 equestrian World Championships. It seems like a no-brainer, but this decision has come under fire since its installation. Continue reading for more information. 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.

Horseback Riding Helmet

Dissenting is the 2022 National Cutting Horse Association rulebook. It states that competitors must wear a cowboy hat. They can only wear a safety helmet with advance approval of show management. However, rodeo and reining groups are more progressive. Saddle and bareback bronc riders, barrel racers, and reiners can all choose between a cowboy hat or protective helmet. Cowboy hats are seen as for performative and part of the experience. And yet helmet acceptance is increasing due to high-profile injuries.

If you are a horse property owner, your decision to wear a helmet may be driven by your insurance company. According to insurance agencies, head injuries occur a lot in horse sport and are avoidable in many situations. Your insurer may talk to you about wearing a helmet. For some horse property owners, premiums can rise when you’re not protecting yourself properly. Are head injuries covered in your policy? Does it specify whether the rider was wearing a helmet? Ask your insurer how your policy stands on these issues.

Horses and Vitamin E

Posted on April 11, 2022 by blogeditor

Did you know that horses need vitamin E? Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient in equine diets. This vitamin acts as a biological antioxidant in horses. This means that it protects tissues from the oxidative effects of free radicals. Free radicals are a natural outcome of cell metabolism. Continue reading for more information on why horses need vitamin E. 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.

Why Horses Need Vitamin E

So, how much vitamin E does your equine need? The National Research Council has the answer. There are minimum recommendations for vitamin E intake for different body weights and metabolic states in the Equine Nutritional Guidelines. A mature 500 kg horse needs a minimum daily intake about 500 IUs. If the horse is active, then bump it up to 1000. Horses consuming diets higher in unsaturated fat like corn or canola oil may not absorb vitamin E as well.

Fresh spring pasture is one of the most abundant sources of vitamin E. On the other hand, stored forages like hay lose their vitamin E activity quickly. This is the same for whole grains and other stored sources of unsaturated fats. They nay have vitamin E, but they can be eaten quickly enough. The most metabolically available source of vitamin E for equines is one where vitamin E is processed to make it water soluble. This means that you might have to provide your horse with a supplement. Talk to you vet to see if your horse is getting enough of this essential vitamin today.

Donkey Myths

Posted on June 22, 2021 by blogeditor

Did you know that donkeys are one of the oldest domesticated animals? It’s true. In fact, they were first domesticated around 3,000 BC, probably in Egypt or Mesopotamia. Being a part of the human experience for that long, there’s no wonder that there are some donkey myths out there. Continue reading for the most common. Like quine myths? Here’s some top draft horse myths. 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.

Common Donkey Myths

The most common donkey myth is that they are stubborn and stupid. This is not true. Donkeys are usually not as cooperative as horses. In other words, they’re not as easy to guide with a lead. Donkey’s are more hesitant due to the way they evolved. Horses evolved on plains where they had many sources of food. Donkeys evolved in mountainous desert areas with less resources. Donkeys take the time to assess their situation more than horses. They’re deciding whether they should stay where there’s food or move on.

Donkeys also have a reputation for being strong pack animals. However, there is a myth that they can carry more than other equines and that’s just a myth. Donkeys can only hold up to 20% of their weight. Donkey’s often don’t show they’re in pain for the same reason they’re perceived as stubborn. In a fight of flight situation, donkeys are more likely to stay and fight. Fight animals cannot show vulnerability to their opponents and so donkeys do not show their pain until they are very sick or critically injured.

Popular Wild Horse Spots in Colorado

Posted on June 10, 2021 by blogeditor

For many of us, our joy of horses start when we are very young. This is especially true if you grew up watching Black Beauty, Secretariat, or Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. And what about wild horses? The term “wild horse” is also used colloquially in reference to free-roaming herds of feral horses such as the mustang in the United States, the brumby in Australia, and many others. Continue reading to find out where you can spot a wild horse 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.

Wild Horse Spots

The Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area is great for spotting wild horses. Found in the northwest corner of the state, the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area has more than 157,000 acres of land. The area is located about 45 miles west of Craig. With so much land it is not a surprise that it is home to an estimated population of about 700 horses. The area is also home to elk, mule deer, Greater sage-grouse, white-tailed prairie dogs, pronghorn, coyotes, mountain lions, badgers, and golden and bald eagles.

And then there’s the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area. This herd management area is one of the easiest to find. It is located southwest of Meeker and east of State Highway 139. If you’re lucky you can even spot some of the wild herd off of the highway. The herd is varied, featuring bay, gray, sorrel, black, roan, and buckskin breeds. Even larger than Sand Wash, this herd management area boasts 190,130 acres. You may also spot mule deer, elk, badgers and a variety of birds.

Horses in Film

Posted on March 24, 2021 by blogeditor

Animals and especially horses have been a part of films. Horses in film began around the 1920s when westerns were so big. Horses were a big part of filming the westerns National Velvet, Ben-Hur, and The Big Country. Today this relationship still exists in film. For example, horses were the only for of travel for the characters in The Lord of the Rings series. Unfortunately, horses weren’t always treated humanely. 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.

Horses in Film: The Past and Present

During the early years of horses in film, there was a dark side to the movie industry. Productions companies often viewed horses as commodities. In other words, they saw horses as expendable parts of the filing process. In old westerns and war films, tripwires were used to get horses to fall. This caused lameness, broken legs, and other injuries often resulting in euthanasia. However, time progressed and so has our treatment of horses in film.

Today, the American Humane Association dictates how animals are treated in filming. They work with production personnel and trainers during the pre-production stage through on-set filming. Also, they monitor their Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media. In fact, the AHA monitors 70 percent of known animal action in film and television, which accounts for approximately 2,000 productions annually. Because of the actions of the AHA, we now have horses in film without endangering their lives.

The Chincoteague Pony

Posted on January 25, 2021 by blogeditor

The Chincoteague pony is a breed of feral horse that lives on Assateague Island in both Virginia and Maryland. It is not common for a horse breed to be called a “pony”. The Chincoteague pony gets this name due to their smaller stature which is created by the poor habitat on Assateague Island. Island Chincoteague ponies live on a diet of salt marsh plants and brush, a poor nutritional diet that gives the breed their small size. Here’s some more on the history of this unique horse breed. 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.

History of The Chincoteague Pony

Some say this breed descended from survivors of wrecked Spanish galleons off the Virginia coast. However that is unlikely. Experts say the breed came from stock released on the island by 17th-century colonists. This was a popular thing at the time for those looking to escape livestock laws and taxes on the mainland. A volunteer fire company held the first official “Pony Penning Day” in 1924. The volunteers auctioned off Chincoteague ponies as a way to raise money for fire equipment. The annual event has continued in the same fashion almost uninterrupted to the present day.

Today, the federal government owns the entire Island. A fence on the Maryland/Virginia state line separates two herds of the ponies. Therefore, around 150 ponies live on the Virginia side of the fence and 80 live on the Maryland side. Also, the herds live on land managed by two different federal agencies with very different management strategies. Just like many other horse breeds, these ponies come in several different colors and patterns. They can be any solid color, and are often found in pinto patterns.

Riding Sidesaddle

Posted on January 7, 2021 by blogeditor

Riding a horse sidesaddle is an idea that has been around for a long time. Sitting sidesaddle was originally created as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse without messing up their clothes. The type of saddle used for this riding style is quite different from the usual saddle. 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 Sidesaddle Design

In the early days of horseback riding, women wore long skirts. This type of clothing is impractical and dangerous when riding in a normal saddle. Before people began to dress differently, the safest way to ride with skirts was sidesaddle. This meant that saddle makers had to develop a saddle that could accommodate riding from the side while keeping the rider in control. The design of the sidesaddle has changed many times over its history.

By the 15th century this saddle included a central horn in the front that would become the “top pommel.” The cantle or the back part of the saddle was slightly raised at the rear, but overall remained too flat. Without the contour of the saddle that we have today, it was extremely hard to keep still on this saddle. That’s why the design later included a safety rail that steadied the rider. Over time, more changes and adjustments were made. By the 1830s another pommel, the “leaping head,” was introduced. This pommel curved over the rider’s left thigh, securing the rider more than ever before.

Winter Chores For Horse Owners

Posted on October 6, 2020 by blogeditor

Many states do not see much change between the seasons aside from the temperature. Colorado has temperate springs, beautiful summers, falls full of changing colors, and white winters. Prior to winters, Coloradans know the drill; this is when you bring out all of your winter clothes to the front of your closet to prepare for the snowy weather. Horse owners have the extra step of preparing their horses for the winter. In fact, there’s an entire new chore list for horse owners when winter comes around. Here is our list of winter chores for Colorado horse owners.

Colorado Winter Chores

Begin by checking your stables for problems. Inspect gutters and downspouts for leaks. When the snow begins to melt, you’ll want to divert the water away from high traffic areas. The last thing you want is standing water near your animals, so check your paddock for low spots and level them out. Though some horses are okay to be outside while it’s snowing, be mindful of overgrazing and compaction. The winter weather is not good for leather tack. Also tack with metal components are prone to rust in wet weather. Consider a way to heat, light or ventilate your tack room to avoid this problem.

You should also check and update your emergency plans. Does your flashlights need fresh batteries? What about your battery-powered radio and car cell phone charger? Also, make sure your horse blankets are clean and at hand when you need them. Consider your own clothing needs to keep you warm and dry during riding, daily chores and farm work. Looking for horse properties for sale in Colorado? Colorado Horse Property has the largest database of horse properties than any other site and our team of horse-person realtors can help you find the perfect property for you.

Ancient Horse Superstitions

Posted on August 24, 2020 by blogeditor

Horses have been galloping through the fields on planet Earth for a long time. Humans and horses have lived in symbiosis for hundreds of years. With such an old history, it is not surprising that we’ve developed some horse superstitions along the say. Here are a few of the most commonly known horse superstitions. Before you continue, are you looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado? Colorado Horse Property is the #1 horse property listing site in the state. We also have a full staff of horse-person realtors that can help you find the horse property of your dreams.

Horse Superstitions That Still Exist Today

The word superstitions conjures up negative tropes, but don’t forget that superstitions also include good luck charms. For instance, a common good luck charm in Ireland is the horseshoe. This is because most horseshoes were made of iron. In ancient times, the Celts of northern Europe believed in the magic of iron, which had the power to keep away bad spirits and negative energy. This is probably why there is so much art made from horseshoes today. Check out the Colorado Horse Property Pinterest for horseshoe art.

A common horse superstition in England is the horse brass. A horse brass is a decorative medallion, often seen on working draft horses. These are used to ward away evil spirits from valuable horses. They have existed in some form or another for more than two millennia. The modern horse brass that we see decorating heavy horses first showed up in the West Country of England in the early nineteenth century. Similarly, ancient Egypt and other middle eastern countries have a history of using brass bells on horses for the same reason.