As horse professionals, you know that the business of horses can be an incredibly challenging one. Regardless of if you’re a sporting equestrian, an animal care provider, or for the personal satisfaction and love that’s created from bonding with such a majestic animal, there are several smart phone applications—for the iPhone, Android, and even the—that are horse-friendly, fun, educational, and even life-saving!

Here are the best mobile applications for horse lovers:

1. Equine AcuPoints ($14.99 – for iPhone)

The Equine AcuPoints app is an equine acupressure practitioner’s most reliable ally in the animal care field. Many veterinary doctors as well as equine health care providers rely on Acupressure—a form of alternative Chinese medical method that features placing pressure onto various vital points along the body to treat and cure various illnesses. Acupressure has been effective in treating many human health issues, and it has also believed to be beneficial for animals, including horses. During a procedure, a medical practitioner will place pressure on Acupoints in order to manipulate the energy that flow through the body’s meridians. The idea is that when meridians are unblocked and energy is able to flow smoothly, various symptoms and health issues will be resolved. This app was created by the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute and provides a full-range of images detailing all of the major meridian points (or Acupoints) on a horse’s body for treating specific equine conditions, as well as their functions.

2. Horse Rider SOS ($8.12 – for Android)

The Horse Rider SOS is an emergency alert system created especially for the rescue of horse riders in trouble. The app uses GPS technology in order to locate isolated riders during an emergency situation. Horse-riding can be a risky endeavor, and if your horse is unpredictable, or stumbles, falls, spooks, or bolts, the rider can be unseated and injured in a remote area. The Horse Rider SOS app simply monitors rider activity using a GPS signal so if you should fall or be injured, the app will send an automatic alert to the first emergency contact on your friends’ list.

3. Colic in Horses: An Owner’s Guide (Free – for iPhone)

Horse owners fear colic in their beloved animals. The single, highest cause of equine death every year, untreated colic can cause painful and unforeseen death. Equine education is vital for horse owners as a quick diagnose and treatment are crucial to recovery. Created by Dr. Keith Taraba, owner of Northeast Texas Equine Services, this app will educate horse owners and care providers on the signs and symptoms associated with equine colic.

4. Horsemanship ($3.16 – for Android)

Successful horse trainers do more than practice and teach riding skills to animals—they must truly bond with the animal in order to understand the horse and interact with the horse from a place of trust and respect. The horsemanship app teaches new horse trainers how to work with horses efficiently, as well as safety procedures, and the basic principles and methods for interacting effectively with your horse.

5. Horse 360 ($1.99 – for iPhone)

The Horse 360 app teaches users about equine anatomy in a fun, learning-style environment. Using memory-style learning, this app visually connects different parts of the horse with their anatomical terms and then follows up with a quiz. As users learn and progress, they can increase levels to test their knowledge (the app offers five levels of difficultly). This app is a great learning tool for veterinary students, as well as horse owners to help them understand medical terms used during vet appointments.

Bio: Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news and commentary. Whether you are looking for reviews on mobile service providers, the best deals on an Android tablet from T-Mobile or want to more about the latest handsets and devices, GoingCellular has you covered.

Horse wormers can come in all types of variations; the multi-purpose wormer Equimax, for example, comes in either a syringe to be administered at the back of the horse’s tongue, or in tablet form to be mixed with its feed.

A syringe-based administration allows direct transfer of the wormer into the horse’s digestive system, and can leave you safe in the knowledge that your horse has definitely been given the right dosage and has definitely been wormed. In tablet form, crushing them up and mixing them in with the feed doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the horse will be wormed, unless you give the food to the horse directly. However, this is a much more time efficient method of worming, as you can then get on with whatever jobs you have to carry out whilst the horse eats its feed.

As well as the different variations, there are also different methods of treatment. Purge worming is strong dose of wormers, given every 2-3 months, that quickly kills large amounts of worms. However, they should only be used specifically to kill large amounts of worms, as an absolute last resort. They should also be used when advised to do so by a vet. Continuous worming is a daily dose that aims to keep the parasites at a constant low level, without letting the population build up to a harmful level. Although it can be a pain administering the dosage every day, you’ll soon find that it becomes as routine as leaving some dog food for your pet before you go to work.

As with all medicinal purchases, be they for horses or humans, it is best to consult a professional before putting together a treatment plan. Your local vet will be able to provide you with a thorough plan based on your breed of horse, and can recommend the best product for you.

Article by Scott Clawson

Note from Joni: There are also horse de-wormers found in nature — certain herb plants. More can be learn about natural horse wormers here: “Natural Parasite Control – Herbs by Mother Nature“  http://snipurl.com/22wv27l You might also want to learn how you can help control worms by keeping your pastures clean with dung beetles…

“Important contributions to cleaner pastures are made by dung beetles” http://snipurl.com/22wv7bi

cleaning pastures of manure with dung beetles. – Google Search

I am co-hosting a free equine nutritional seminar on Saturday, November 12, featuring Stance Equine founder and nutritional biochemist, Dr. Tim Kempton. Dr. Kempton was responsible for introducing copra (coconut meal) to the Australia’s livestock world some 20 years ago. Copra’s nutritional benefits proved so remarkable, it was adopted by horse owners there and in Europe who were looking for naturally clean, low NSC equine feed. It is now available in the US, first introduced a few years ago on the West Coast and, most recently, on the East Coast.

This seminar was initially planned for folks in our local vicinity who are using (with huge success) CoolStance and want more information about it. However, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response necessitated that we move our gathering to a larger facility, so now we have space for even more attendees.

Beginning at 10:00, Dr. Kempton will present a morning educational session exploring topics on general equine nutritional requirements and nutritional partitioning, digestive conditions, including acidosis, dysbiosis and ulcers, and other metabolic-triggered issues such as laminitis, obesity, gait problems, behavior and tying up. Feed balancing is also on the agenda.

Lunch and a question-and-answer session will follow for those who can stay after Dr. Kempton’s morning program. Registration is required so we have a head count for lunch, so please contact me off-list or RSVP to Robin Brown at email maynevent @ msn.com or 843-832-9613. We can send you directions and details at that time.

Several local barefoot trimmers will be attending since they are seeing such positive responses to copra feeding from many of their clients’ horses, so thought this seminar might be of special interest to members of this group, in particular.

You’ll find more information about Stance Equine, Dr. Kempton and the topics that will be addressed in the workshop on Saturday at http://www.stanceequine.com/

If you’re interested in equine nutrition discussions, especially with a somewhat non-traditional, environmental “flavor”, please join our group conversation at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquinesEatingWell/

Hope to see you there and at the seminar on Saturday!

Message from: Cada McCoy

Email: mtmccoy @ bellsouth. net (remove spaces)

While my home and horses were not affected during the 2003 fires, I know many people who’s were.  Tragically, I am sad to say I know several people who even lost their lives.  Many animal lives were lost as well, as people were forced to simply turn their animals loose in hopes that they would escape in time.

During October of 2007, I was boarding my horse at a public boarding facility which became threatened by the extraordinary wild fires sweeping the area.  We were forced to evacuate the some 20 horses from the small, close-knit facility.

With horses in panic mode, high winds, choking smoke, unnerved owners, and heavy emergency vehicle traffic, it was a high anxiety situation to say the least.  But as I arrived to evacuate my horse that October day, I was surprised to find out that I was one of only about 3 boarders who had a trailer and was accustomed and able to hauling horses.  I was greeted in angst by others asking me to help them move their horses.  Of course, assessing the situation we were in with limited help and transportation, I eagerly agreed.

The day turned into one of the longest, eeriest, and most stressful days I’ve encountered, as I soon realized that there was no evacuation plan in place, we did not have enough trailers for the amount of horses, and worst, many horses were not accustomed to trailer loading at all!

I set forth, two by two, moving horses with my little two-horse trailer and truck, frantically making phone calls to equestrian friends to try to find safe barns who could take horses.  My father lived locally and has horse and trailering experience as well, so I immediately called him for help.  With his truck and a borrowed two-horse trailer from a boarder at my facility (who didn’t have a truck to tow with), the two of us almost single-handedly moved all the horses to safety.  We were eventually joined by a volunteer wild-life rescue team with a six-horse trailer who helped us move the last bunch of horses, and thanks to quick networking and generous horse people, we found temporary barns for all of the horses.

I can’t begin to truly express through these words the urgency and chaos that encompassed that day as we struggled to load horses, and I wouldn’t wish that anxiety and fear on anyone. I also cannot stress enough how important it is to have an evacuation plan in place for your animals, not just yourself!!  Know where you are going to take them, know how you are going to get them out.

That day, there were owners who did not even come out for the evacuation.  While some could not, do to home evacuations, road closures, and other similar issues, I was shocked at the amount of absent owners.  This is another important reason that your horse should load well; in the event you are not able to be there to transport your own horse in an emergency, you should be sure that others will be able to handle and load your animal safely and easily.

From this chaotic and frightening ordeal, I offer a few of my personal tips and take-home-lessons:

1) Get your horses micro-chipped.  No, it’s not just for dogs, and it’s not that costly.  After the 2003 fires and the stories of loose horses found but unable to be returned to rightful owners, I chipped my horses, and they were well prepared for 2007.  This practice also comes in handy for cases of stolen horses you hear of from time to time.  Ask your regular equine vet for more information on chipping next time you have them out.

2) Consider putting dog tags on your horse’s halters (as I did).  While they can be removed, they at least provide a quick reference for volunteers who may be handling your horse in an emergency situation.  I leave them on all year round, and it’s also nice for locating tack at boarding facilities.

3) Practice loading and unloading with your horse until they are proficient with it, before you are faced with emergency!  It becomes more than just a “vice” if they are uncomfortable with trailering, something you don’t quite grasp until faced with an emergency.  Borrow a friend’s trailer to train on if you don’t have your own.  It could save their life.

4) Establish an emergency plan for your animals.  If you keep horses at home, discuss where they would go in the event of a small house fire – a neighbor’s perhaps, or, maybe a nearby facility.  Have those numbers available, and, if you don’t own a trailer, establish a plan with a friend who’d be willing to help if needed.  If you live in a place like me where the entire county can be threatened at any given time, have a back up location, or three!

5) Boarders: if you don’t have one in place with your barn currently, talk to your owner/manager about establishing a plan.  You better believe that after that scary day in 2007, by barn owner got a plan in place FAST!

6) If you board or are a barn owner, try organizing a clinic/safety day event where you practice loading/unloading with your barn-mates.  It’s great practice/training for the horses – and more so the people – so you know what to expect, how to react, and who to rely on during an emergency.  It’s also great to identify which horses need more work and who could be transported easily to help things run smoothly during the real thing.

7) While hopefully you will never have to face an event like this, YOU NEVER KNOW!  Here in southern California, wild fires are a fact and reality every year.  Don’t think that it can’t happen to you, and don’t think that it can’t happen again, either!

I’d like to take a moment now to remember those lost in both the 2003 and 2007 fires, and thank those who helped keep me, my family, and animals stay safe during those times.

Alexis McCollom Bio:

Alexis McCollom is the owner of Equus Athletics, a San Diego based company dedicated to helping both horse and rider perform their best by bringing them the latest innovations in equestrian sporting technology.  A horse owner for more than 15-years and a San Diego Native, Alexis also enjoys many other outdoor activities, including biking, running, swimming, skiing, and kayaking.

Get to know Alexis at the sites below, where you can learn and share information about rider health and fitness, and all things equine!

Alexis McCollom’s Blog
Follow Alexis McCollom on Twitter
Alexis McCollom on Facebook

This was emailed to me today by Beth Decaprio of The Grace Foundation in California:

Hi, I am writing to you today on behalf of The Grace Foundation of Northern California. We are trying to spread the word about a horrific animal cruelty case that we have been working with. This man has been accused of killing over 25 horses living on his property, Whispering Pines, and neglecting and starving over 50 more. Our rescue took in the over 50 survivors when the bank foreclosed on his property, but now that hes has filed for bankruptcy, if he wins the cases the remaining horses will be returned to him as no animal cruelty charges have been filed against him yet. Our goal is to raise awareness of this case, hopefully to a national level, in the hope of preventing future cases like this one. Below is the entire story of this case. Please read the story and consider helping us protect and care for these helpless horses by posting the story on your blog along with a link to our video and our website so your readers will be able to find out how they can help with this case. Thank you for your time.

Gallop – Running horse clip art set in three different colors and two matching web background images. For an addition fee I can customize the graphic to whatever color, size, or add graphic to a marketing design — business card, letterhead, postcard, ad, etc.

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To Benefit Equine Assisted Therapeutic Riding Centers

Message from Lisa Miller…

I became interested in documenting foal births in 2010 after a friend of mine mentioned she had two pregnant Thoroughbreds. I thought it would be fun to document a foal birth through photography, and even though the idea of hanging out in a cold barn in the middle of winter didn’t thrill me, the idea of being present during these births did.

I knew very little about horses and even less about birthing a horse, but for some reason I was really excited about documenting this. So when the time came for the first birth I was there and I did exactly what I’d set out to do, photograph the birth of a foal from the moment the water breaks until the foal starts to nurse. It was an amazing site to behold! Even more amazing was that the next day, as I sorted through the hundreds of images, I found two or three incredible shots of the moment when the mare and the foal first connected. It was electric how the images jumped off the screen and hit me like a lightning bolt between the eyes! I knew I had to do something with these images…but what?

The Foal Project by Lisa Miller

A few weeks later it was time for the second mare to give birth. Once again I managed to be there to document the event. The highlight of that evening: when I had to put my camera down and give a pull on a very large baby that had trouble getting out. I can’t tell you how it felt to facilitate the birth of that foal in the photo above. Her name is I’m A Bird, and she’s a beauty! Once again, the next day I was sorting through hundreds of images and sure enough, two or three images jumped out at me. They were of the same thing: that amazing moment when the mare and the foal first connect. Wow. I was stunned! These photos were breathtaking! And so The Foal Project was born. I didn’t know for whom, or for what, I just had a name and knew The Foal Project was going to help someone! I also knew I wanted to do a gallery show and maybe a book, but one question remained: Who would benefit?

As the summer progressed and my photography studio’s wedding season moved into full swing, The Foal Project lingered in the back of my mind. Foaling season for Thoroughbreds was over, but I could not stop thinking about documenting more births. I knew if I could just get the work done, the purpose for it would follow.

I met some great people over the summer who put me in touch with other great people and I started to line up locations to photograph births during the 2011 foaling season. When I asked these same people who could benefit from the money I could raise by completing this project, I learned about Therapeutic Riding Centers.

Therapeutic Riding Centers help children with autism and other challenges, as well as veterans with issues like post- traumatic stress disorder, through horse-related activities and therapies. I’ve always been an advocate for children, but I also wanted to do something in honor of my parents, both of whom are veterans (USAF). Doing something to support Therapeutic Riding Centers seemed to be the perfect fit!

So that’s how The Foal Project was born, and this is where I stand.

It’s now mid-March 2011 and the foaling season is underway. I’ve photographed several births so far, and I hope to make it to as many as possible over the next few months.

From there, I will choose one or two images from each birth showing that beautiful, energized connection between the mare and foal. I’m hoping to have a gallery show ready by mid-summer and it’s my intention to display and sell these images to raise money for Equine Assisted Therapeutic Riding Centers. Prints will be available for purchase at the shows as well as on-line, and a photo documentary of the images in a book form will also be created. I can see this show being used for other special events, and I really hope it will grow from there!

If you:

• know of an Equine Assisted Therapeutic Riding Center that would benefit from this project,
• would be interested in having me photograph any foal births,
• know of a person or business that would like to help sponsor The Foal Project, or
• simply would like more information,

please send me by email at: studiodiluce @ gmail . com (remove spaces)

Donations for The Foal Project are welcome! Any help toward paying for gas, tolls, image printing and other related expenses will be greatly appreciated!

UPDATE: First showing of the Foal Project will be held at the ROOT FARM, rootfarm.org, a local Equine Assisted Therapeutic Riding Center in Vernon, N.Y. at their open house on May 7th. More dates to follow!

Please check out Lisa’s website at Lisa Miller, Photographer studiodiluce.com

New Round Bale Hay Net from Texas Haynet

The Texas Haynet company, maker of the first round bale hay net, recently came into existence because of a small equine rehab facility specializing in hoof rehabilitation. Little Thunder Stables, in central Texas, had to find a way to control the sugar intake of the horses under their care for founder rehabilitation and turned to the research of “slow feeding”.

Restricting access to cut grass hay by way of a grid or net resulted in slower eating and better nutrition for all horses, but is especially important to sugar sensitive equines. It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention”! Since there was no way to economically feed the animals at Little Thunder Stables other than using round bales, the Texas Haynet company was formed after 2 years of testing many different forms of netting material and designs.

Texas Haynet Round Bale Hay Net

No Waste – Slows Eating – Reduces Stress – Calms Aggressive Behavior
- Excellent for Insulin Resistant Horses
- Better for the Digestive System as it Mimics Natural Grazing

If you are not satisfied with the net, it may be returned for a full refund (less shipping) anytime in the first 90 days with proof of purchase.

Texas Haynet is a small company owned by Leslie Davis of Kingsland, Texas. Leslie has been involved with equine rehabilitation since 1997. Leslie and her husband, Joe Schedler worked for a large Texas horse rescue for several years before focusing on just hoof rehabilitation. Little Thunder Stables is committed to making sure the Texas Haynet company continues to produce quality hay nets for round bales.

Feeding cut grass hay is a challenge for all domestic horse owners and is the staple food for all equines. Researchers still do not fully understand “why” a horse masticates hay more completely when they take smaller bites rather than large bites, but it has been proven that if you feed most cut hay through a hole that is 2″ or less, the horse has better digestion. With improved digestion, nutrients are fully extracted and sugars, starches, heavy metals, toxins all are handled better by the horse’s liver more efficiently.

Economically round baled cut grass hay is the best choice when feeding multiple horses, so Texas Haynet’s design for a round hay net to fit over a large round bale of hay is truly a product born out of necessity. It certainly serves the purpose for which it was designed, but one of the best benefits of using a slow feeder hay net over a round bale has been the fact that the hay bale will now last much longer, thus saving time and money!

Square Bale Hay Net in the Works!

Another need in the market of slow feeding is an easy-to-apply net to fit over square bales of hay and Texas Haynet is currently testing their newest design for this and hopes to have it in full production before the end of the year.

You can contact Leslie at Texas Haynet http://www.txhaynet.com or at 325-388-2727

This article is a guest post from Hayley at Anything Equine (http://www.anythingequine.co.uk) who runs an online store selling equestrian clothing and equine wear.

Horse Care

As any horse lover knows, there is no better feeling than tucking your horse in to bed (so to speak) at the end of the day, knowing that they are comfortable, content and safe.  There are a few hints and handy tips that can help all horse owners do the very best by their horse.

Stick to a routine

Horses are creatures of routine, keeping them in a daily routine can be so rewarding for both of you.  The following is based upon a single horse owner and their horse being stabled at night and turned out when possible.  Despite this, the practices detailed can be followed by most,  it may just be the timings that differ.

Morning greeting

In the morning if you visit your horse daily at the same time they will become accustomed to seeing you at this time, in turn they will realize their breakfast will also be arriving at this time.  They will not only become potentially more vocal and say hello when greeting you as you arrive, but the risk of them becoming stressed by being stabled for a longer period of time will be reduced.  This helps you and your horse begin your day together on a pleasant and happy note.

After breakfast you can set about grooming and generally spending some time with your horse.  Grooming, cleaning and taking care of your horse is an important part of building and maintaining a happy relationship together.  Horses in herds in the wild spend part of their day grooming each other, essentially by doing this you are developing your friendship together.  As well as this, it also gives you the opportunity to possibly find any knocks or bruises that may have happened during the night.  Any of which can then be treated to prevent it from becoming a problem.

Once clean and their breakfast has had time to digest, you can then enjoy your daily ride.  Whether this is exercising in the school, practicing for that all important next competition or taking a leisurely hack, this is up to you.

On return from your ride, post exercise routine may vary slightly depending on what you did together.  It is essential that horses that have become sweaty and hot during their exercise be cooled off, washed off if the weather and temperature allows and a wicking rug be put on to prevent the horse from getting a chill.  If this is not the case and your horse has had time to cool off on your way back to the yard, be sure to brush off any dried on sweat and mud.

When suitably dry and comfortable you can turn your horse out into the field.  Be sure to check the water supply is fresh and readily available and all fences are safe and secure.  Once you have done this you can head back and muck out your horses stable.  Many people, knowing they will be back again in the afternoon to bring their horses in, will muck out the stable and leave it up against the sides of the stable.  This gives the stable a chance to dry out and air out over the course of the day.  This is up to you.  One small hint is not to do the horses water until you bring them in. This helps the water stay fresh and clean, rather than getting dusty and stale over the course of the day.   You can also choose whether to put your horses hay / haylage in the stable ready for later or do it when you come back.

Afternoon routine

In the afternoon on arrival to the yard you can complete your horses stable, put the bed down if applicable, fill their water, put their hay in and make up their dinner.  Then you can go and fetch your horse from the field.  Many will have enjoyed a roll, so it is important to ensure you are putting your horse to bed comfortable.  This requires you to pick out their feet, brush off any dry mud, wash off any wet mud and change from outdoor rug to indoor rug if you have decided to rug them.  Once all this has been done you can put your horse in their stable (if you have been doing this on the yard) and feed them their dinner.  Once you are sure they are settled and comfortable you can leave them to their nightly slumber.

This is a very basic, yet applicable routine that most horses will find easy to become accustomed to and happy involved in.  Of course each horse owner will know their horses and variations of this will suit their days and their horse better.

Related articles

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Preview Horses For LIFE Online Magazine Volume 41 Bent Branderup

Incredibly beautiful horse photos in this online horse magazine!

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Bent Branderup – The Art of Pluvinel
Anja Beran – Lusitano versus Andalusian
Kladruber in the Snow – Christiane Slawik

More info: http://horsesforlife.com