Equine Therapy

Posted on July 10, 2018 by blogeditor

Equine Therapy in Littleton

Mental health is an issue that many Americans deal with on a daily basis. In researching options, you may have come across the term Equine Therapy. This is a unique and experiential type of therapy that involves interactions between people and horses. Also, you may hear the terms Horse Therapy or Horse Assisted Therapy. These terms refer to equine therapy and the definition given above.

Patients engage in certain activities such as grooming, feeding, haltering and leading a horse. Mental health professional supervise the activity. Make sure that the animal is comfortable during the process. Opportunity strikes during the activity and after the patient has finished working with the horse. Therefore, the equine therapist can observe and interact with the patient. This will help to identify behavior patterns and process thoughts and emotions.

Additionally, consider making the move to Littleton. Littleton is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. However, is it close to the premier horse therapy center Happy Dog Ranch. Search for homes in Littleton now, many of which include accommodations for horses on the land. Here you will find a link to information about the equine therapy ranch in Littleton.

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The Colorado Horse Park

Posted on June 25, 2018 by blogeditor

The Colorado Horse Park

The Colorado Horse Park is the largest horse park in the western United States. It typically features more than 40 events per year. It also has 11 competition arenas, 100 boarding stalls, an RV park, and two covered arenas. The arena has 300 permanent stalls and portable stalls for more than 1,000 competing horses.

The Colorado Horse Park was rumored to be sold and developed into a subdivision, but news of a new ownership put these concerns to rest. Mark Bellissimo, owner of a large equestrian festival in Florida, bought the park in December 2014. Helen Krieble, who bought the park in 1993, neared retirement that September and put the park up for sale.

Colorado Equestrian Partners

The new partnership that now owns the park, Colorado Equestrian Partners, includes Mark and Katherine Bellissimo and other partners within the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The Colorado Equestrian Partners purchased the park with plans to invest in improvements. These improvement included stabling and footing and key factors that energize the equestrian community. The partners planned to develop philanthropic initiatives along with outreach programs that work with local schools to raise awareness about opportunities in horse sports. And over the years since this new ownership they have done just that!

Today The Colorado Horse Park hosts a number of events. In this month alone it has hosted its second High Prairie Dressage event of the year, a cross county schooling on schooling course, the Marilyn Payne eventing clinic, and the Horsemanship Goodnight event. It also hosted an event during the month of June called Summer in the Rockies. The Summer in the Rockies event is a horse show competition in which riders can compete and win prizes. The event began on June the sixth and will end on July the eighteenth. For more information about The Colorado Horse Park, contact Colorado Horse Property.

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Colorado Horses

Posted on June 20, 2018 by blogeditor

Colorado Horses

Colorado horses form groups called harems. A harem has one adult male, several females, their foals, and younger horses of both sexes. This also includes one to five stallions. Each group is led by a dominant mare. Harems are usually small, containing between three and thirty-five animals; this number changes as young animals are driven out of their natal band and join other bands, or as stallions challenge each other for dominance.

Do not confuse a band or harem with a herd. In herds, there is usually a single stallion, though occasionally a few less-dominant males may remain on the fringes of the group.

Horse Hierarchy

It is no secret that horses have evolved to live in herds. As with many animals that live in large groups, establishment of a stable hierarchical system is important to reduce aggression and increase group cohesion. Dominance can depend on a variety of factors, including an individual horse’s need for a particular resource at a given time. Some horses may be dominant over all resources and others may be submissive for all resources.

The herd stallion is not the king of a harem of females. The horse that tends to lead a wild or feral herd is often a dominant mare. The mare will lead the herd to food and other resources as well as control the groups routine and movement. This mare will ensure the general health of the group of horses under her.

However, there was a recent theory published that says there is no single horse that leads the group. In this 2014 study, researches observed many harems. They discovered some herd movements may have been started by any individual horse. They also found that some higher-ranked mares are followed more often by other herd members. For more information on horses and their behaviors, contact Colorado Horse Property.

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Colorado Feral Horses

Posted on June 13, 2018 by blogeditor

Colorado Feral Horses

What are Colorado feral horses? Feral horses are horses that live in an untamed state but have ancestors who have been domesticated. This separates them from what are commonly known as “wild” horses. In fact, there are zero original wild horses from pre-domestication times that are in existence today. Therefore every horse living in the wild today are in all technicality feral.

The best-known examples of feral horses are the “wild” horses of the American west, including Colorado. When Europeans reintroduced many horse breeds to the Americas some horses escaped and formed feral herds. We call these herds “mustangs” today. For more information on feral horses in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property.

Feral Horses Around the World

In North America, feral horses are descendants of horses that were domesticated in Europe. Certain genes show similarities of both modern and fossil North American horses. However, they are not members of the same species. The west protects feral horses under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. But Colorado is not the only place where these horses can be found. You will find feral horses in parts of Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, and many other countries.

Australia has the largest population of feral horses in the world, with in excess of 400,000 horses. The Australian name equivalent to the ‘Mustang’ is the Brumby. English settlers brought these feral descendants of horses to Australia. More than 400 feral horses live in the foothills of Cincar mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These animals, which descend from horses set free by their owners in the 1950s, enjoy a protected status since 2010.

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Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse

Posted on June 12, 2018 by blogeditor

Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse

The Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association (more commonly known are the RMQHA), is an organization that supports everything about the horse breed known as the American Quarter Horse. This association has been around for over seventy years. Also, it has shared the Colorado dedication to and enthusiasm for the American Quarter Horse. What does it have to offer you? If you like to keep up with Regional Quarter Horse news, then the association has a lot to offer you! This association is the industry leader in providing horse owners and enthusiasts with heritage, education, programs, and activities.

RMQHA Events

The association hosts a day for their practicing members and new horse owners, in which participants get the royal treatment at Arapahoe Park. Arapahoe Park is a horse-racing track in Arapahoe County, Colorado. In fact, its located at 26000 East Quincy Ave in Aurora. The Park hosts Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Paint Horse and Arabian horse racing.

The RMQHA hosts over twenty approved shows and special events annually throughout Colorado. Also, the association offers Special Event Classes in cattle-related classes. Truly there is an event for everyone with the RMQHA! If you have any questions about the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horses Association, like how to join or help support the horse community in the Front Range, then contact your friends at Colorado Horse Property.

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The Heritage Ride

Posted on June 11, 2018 by blogeditor

The Heritage Ride

The Colorado Horse Council, an organization that operates out of Brighton Colorado, is the founder of the famed Heritage Ride. The Heritage Ride is a large event for horse owners and enthusiasts. It focuses on making people aware of the efforts of the equine industry in Colorado.

The Heritage Ride focuses on education of those in and out of the equine community. It is also a fundraiser to support the work that the Colorado Horse Council does to protect horses. This year marks the sixth annual Heritage Ride event and will be showcased in a couple locations along the Front Range. Also, the ride is approximately 2 hours long, depending on location.

What is the Colorado Horse Council? This organization is a grass-roots, all-breed, non-discipline specific organization. In fact, they link horse owners and the Colorado horse industry into a common voice. This protects their common equine interests through legislation and education. It also employs a full-time contract lobbyist, who works with the State Legislature on horse and agriculture-related issues.”

This event is a day-long equine adventure, where there will be educational opportunities for you to learn about trail riding, equine safety and more. Attendees may also have the opportunity to ride with guest clinicians from the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, another popular event that the Colorado Horse Council hosts every year. 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.

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Horse Sleeping Patterns

Posted on June 8, 2018 by blogeditor

Horse Sleeping Patterns

Just like us, horses must sleep to stay energized and healthy throughout the day. But how much do horses sleep and what about horse sleeping patterns? Horses can sleep both standing up and lying down. Horses are able to sleep standing up because a “stay apparatus” in their legs allows them to relax their muscles and sleep without falling over.

Humans tend to need an unbroken period of sleep, but horses do not. Horses sleep in short periods of rest. Horses usually spend anywhere from four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest (not to be confused with sleep), and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. The total sleep time in a day may range from several minutes to two hours.

Horses require approximately two and a half hours of sleep, on average, in a twenty-four hour period. Most of this sleep occurs in many short intervals of about fifteen minutes each. These short periods of sleep consist of five minutes of slow-wave sleep, followed by five minutes of rapid eye movement sleep (REM) and then another five minutes of slow-wave sleep.

Horse REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep, REMS) is a unique phase of sleep in mammals and birds, distinguishable by random/rapid movement of the eyes, accompanied with low muscle tone throughout the body, and the propensity of the sleeper to dream vividly.

Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep. They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements. If a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived. Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. For information on horse sleep patterns, contact your veterinarian. For a list of horse clinicians in Colorado, provided to you by Colorado Horse Property, check out our Local Resources page.

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Equine Poison Prevention

Posted on June 7, 2018 by blogeditor

The ASPCA and Equine Poison Prevention

The ASPCA is a leader for equine poison prevention. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals. The ASPCA is based in New York City and got its start in 1866. Their mission is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.”

What To Do In An Emergency

If you think your horse has ingested something poisonous, remain calm and assess the situation. Is your horse having difficulty breathing? If so, clear the airway if you can. After that, call your horse clinician immediately. Ask your horse doctor if they have a “charcoal slurry.” This is concoction that will absorb toxic chemicals in the stomach and intestines. Then your horse doctor will give your horse and laxative to help them pass the charcoal concoction along with the toxins. Alternatively, feed your horse Epsom salt as laxative. However, always contact your clinician first to let them know what you’re doing and ask them for their professional opinion.

If you suspect that your animal has ingested a poisonous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. For a list of horse clinicians in Colorado, check out our Local Resources page. 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.

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Colorado Horse Nutritional Facts

Posted on June 6, 2018 by blogeditor

A horse’s digestive system is made to process large quantities of grass. This type of diet is high in fiber and water. However, the basic diet for most horses should also include good quality hay that is free of dust and mold. Of course it almost goes without saying that your horse should be provided with plenty of fresh, clean, unfrozen water at all times, even if the horse only drinks once or twice a day. Continue reading for more information on Colorado horse nutritional facts. 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.

Colorado Horse Nutritional Facts

Unless your veterinarian tells you otherwise, your horse should be able to graze or eat hay when they want to. However, it is important to watch your horse and make sure it is maintaining an appropriate weight. Again, your veterinarian can help you decide how to keep your horse fit and healthy. For a list of horse clinicians in Colorado, check out our Local Resources page.

Remember, you horse doesn’t have to eat grains, and sometimes its good for them to avoid such foods. Most horses don’t need the extra calories found in grains, which are high in carbohydrates. You don’t have to feed your horse extra grain in the winter to keep them warm. This is a common misconception. Hay actually produces more heat when digested than grains.

It isn’t a good idea to let your horse or pony break into the grain bin or be allowed to gorge on green pasture for the first time since the fall. Remember that if you travel with your horse, bring their food along. For some horses, you may also have to bring a supply of the water along.

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Colorado Horse Rescue

Posted on June 5, 2018 by blogeditor

Longmont Horse Properties for Sale

If you are looking to purchase a Colorado Horse Property then you should look into Longmont Horse Properties for Sale. Longmont is home to the Colorado Horse Rescue. Colorado Horse Rescue, as its name suggests, is a horse rescue based out of Longmont Colorado. This horse rescue dedicates its time and money to saving the disadvantaged horse. Their motto goes, “One human, one rescue, one home at a time.”

History of the Colorado Horse Rescue

Today Colorado Horse Rescue is a powerhouse of the community. The rescue is a place where horse owners and enthusiasts can come together and share information as well as meet with local horse clinicians and veterinarians. The Colorado Horse Rescue is a great place to visit today and has come from a long and vibrant history.

In 1986, Sharon Jackson and Jill Pratt founded Colorado Horse Rescue to provide shelter, rehabilitation and care for horses. They began by focusing on helping horses that came from abused and neglected situations. With a handful of area stables and land from local farms, the rescue was able to offer vacancies at their facilities to help shelter horses. Two years later, the Colorado Horse Rescue received its non-profit status from the state of Colorado.

Throughout the following years, the rescue has seen some wonderful improvements. Just last year the rescue’s indoor area was refurbished into a safe and usable space for riding and training purposes. This new development gave the rescue the ability to host clinics and events in inclement weather, as well as continue to ride and train horses year-round! In 2017, Colorado Horse Rescue received the Top Nonprofits Award, and the Boulder County Horse Association’s Appreciation Award in recognition of its support of horses and equestrian interests in the community. This year the rescue has continued to grow with its new dedicated adoption and volunteer coordinator position.

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