As the cold weather drags on, it tends to feel like spring is nowhere in sight. Luckily, we’ve come up with some fun activities for you to help beat the winter riding (or non-riding) blues. 

Knowing how your horse acts when he is feeling good will help you better realize when there is something wrong. Every horse owner needs to know what “normal” is for their horse. Being able to report abnormal behavior can help your veterinarian diagnose your horse in the future if there is ever something wrong. 

Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Are you stumped on just what your goals for this next year should be? We’ve come up with some great ideas for some barn-related New Year’s Resolutions. Take a look and see if one of these ideas might be right for you.

Hopefully your horse has been on Santas nice list. Finding a gift for the horse who has “everything” can sometimes be a challenge. But here’s an idea – the perfect gift for your horse may be a little bit of pampering. We know you already pamper your horse with good food, a great stall, and lots of treats, but these are some extra ways to make him/her feel extra special. 

Whether you’re a competitive rider or just going out for the occasional trail ride, warming up your horse can help prevent injuries. A pre-ride safety check can start even before you get on. If you are working in an arena, check the area for holes that need to be filled or for larger rocks that may cause your horse to stumble. When grooming your horse, make sure there are no cuts or loose shoes or other indications that your horse isn’t 100%. Finally, when tacking up, make sure your tack doesn’t have any weak areas, such as stirrup leathers or the throatlatch that can break while you’re riding.

Here are some of our favorite winter things.

Now is the time of year when wildlife starts to find its way into your barn. And while squirrels, mice, and birds might be enjoyable while they’re outside, when they come into your barn they become less enjoyable and possibly even a health hazard. These tips can help you keep unwanted wildlife out of your barn this winter.

While Veterans Day traditionally remembers the men and women who served in our Armed Forces, there are some four-legged heroes that deserve recognition as well. One of them was a horse named Reckless.

This weekend we turn the clocks back an hour. While it’s great that we get to sleep in an extra hour, it means that days are going to start getting darker sooner. Shadows and poorly lit areas can make stall cleaning cumbersome and inhibit observation and care of your horse. In order to get all the riding, horse care and barn work accomplished, it’s a good idea to look at ways to add extra light to your barn.

It’s Halloween and there are a lot of scary Spirits around. How can you protect yourself from things that go “bump in the night”? With a magic horseshoe, of course!