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Help for Heaves in Horses
Blog
Help for Heaves in Horses
Horses suffering from inflammatory airway disease (also known as heaves) can lose their ability to be athletes. The onset of the disease is often subtle. There may be a slight change…
Shivers in Horses
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Shivers in Horses: Newest Facts and Findings
Although cold weather can affect many horses and their owners in the Northern Hemisphere region, ambient temperature does not have any effect on whether a horse shivers despite its bonechilling…
Spay Your Mare
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Should You Spay Your Mare?
Spaying is a surgical procedure that removes the female reproductive organs from small animals such as dogs and cats. It prevents the animals from getting into estrus and is a reliable…
Feeding Chaff to Horses
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Feeding Chaff to Horses
Chaff is a chopped form of hay that can be stored for horses if you have difficulty finding or storing it. Some feed shops sell chaff in 50-pound bags (23-kilogram). Horses can…
Feeding a Pregnant Mare
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Six Steps to Feeding a Pregnant Mare
There are many decisions involved in breeding a mare. Some require a lot of thought ("What stallion should i choose?"), while others can be done quickly ("Who will foal the…
Blue Eyes in Horses
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The Eyes Have It: Blue Eyes in Horses
You are looking at a horse you might purchase and you love every aspect of him... except his blue eyes! You remember the things that people from your barn said about…
Bran Mash on Horse
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Bran Mash: What’s It Really Good For?
Are you seeing more horse owners asking for wheat bran during winter? These well-meaning people are likely to make homemade bran mash for the horses. You might be wondering what's in bran…
Check Broodmare Hay for Fescue
Blog
Check Broodmare Hay for Fescue
Fescue...what's not love about it? It has many benefits for landowners in North America as well as other parts of the globe like New Zealand and Australia. Its resilience allows it to…
Barley in Horse Feeds
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Using Barley in Horse Feeds
The United States ranks barley behind corn , sorghum and in terms of feed grain production. Different cultivars of barley are created for different purposes, so it is important to distinguish…
Aloe Vera for Equine Gastric Ulcers
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Exploring Aloe Vera for Equine Gastric Ulcers
A research team from the University of Adelaide, South Australia came up with an unusual solution to the seemingly endless battle against horse gastric ulcers. These scientists* believe that aloe vera can…
Coggins Test
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What Is a Coggins Test?
Leroy Coggins was the veterinarian who created the Coggins test in 1970 to detect antibodies against the equine infectious disease virus (EIA). Although there are many other approved tests for EIA,…
Pellets in the Sweet Feed
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What Are Those Pellets in the Sweet Feed?
The average texture of "sweet" feed was created not too long ago by mixing different whole and processed grains (oats and corn), a mechanically-ground protein source, usually soybean meal and…
Stringhalt in Horses
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Pasture-Associated Stringhalt in Horses
Pasture-associated stranglehold (PSH), is similar to traditional stringhalt in that it causes exaggerated spasmodic flexions of the hindlimbs. PSH, unlike stringhalt*, also has peripheral neuropathy*. Excessive flexing of the limbs can be exacerbated by…
Give Pills to Horses
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How to Give Pills to Horses
After examining your horse and diagnosing the problem, the veterinarian gave you a large bottle of tablets to give twice daily. The veterinarian has confirmed that the problem is treatable. But…
Elbow Swelling in Horses
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Shoe Boil: Elbow Swelling in Horses
Horsemen may occasionally come across a pony or horse with a firm, unusual swelling at the elbow. This swelling, also called a shoe boil or olecranon-bursitis, is more common than you…
Wobbler Syndrome in Horses
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Wobbler Syndrome in Horses
Wobbler syndrome horses usually have no apparent problems in their first years of life. These horses develop uncoordinated gaits as they age, including stumbling, dragging one's limbs, and swaying while they…
Color of Horse Hay
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Color of Horse Hay: What Does It Mean?
Hay's suitability for horses is greatly affected by the way it is stored and cured. Moisture content is the key to properly cured Hay. To achieve the best results, hay should…
Pasturing Horses with Cattle
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Pasturing Horses with Cattle
Horses and cattle are often found peacefully grazing together all over the world. Although it is common, it may not be the best thing for your horse's well-being. Kathleen Crandell (Ph.D.),…
Horse’s Topline
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Feeding to Improve Your Horse’s Topline
The horse's topline refers to the muscle covering over the top of the horse’s neck, back and loins. Performance horses and show horses need well-developed toplines in order to be balanced…
Artificial Insemination in Horses
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Artificial Insemination in Horses
Artificial insemination (AI), a great option for breeders, eliminates the need to transport a horse for breeding. It also allows a mare to be bred by a stallion that can…
Vitamin C in Horse Diets
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Vitamin C in Horse Diets
Vitamin C is one of the most overlooked vitamins in horse nutrition. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid, has many roles in the body. Many of these…
Quidding and Teeth Dysfunction in Old Horses
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Quidding and Teeth Dysfunction in Old Horses
Horses can nip and tear feedstuffs with great efficiency if their teeth are healthy. This prepares them for the digestion that takes place further down the digestive tract. Horses can sometimes…
Rice Bran to Horses
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Advantages of Feeding Rice Bran to Horses
Rice bran is a popular choice among horsemen for its multiple nutritional benefits. Why feed rice brän? There are two main benefits: energy density, skin and coat health, and a boost in energy…
Corn Oil in Equine Diets
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Corn Oil in Equine Diets
For many years corn oil was a staple ingredient in horses' diets. But has this beloved additive lost its appeal? Although corn oil can have its benefits and drawbacks, scientific advances…
Horse Sweating
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How Much Is That Horse Sweating?
Horses who work hard sweat a lot. Long-duration exercise can lead to significant fluid and electrolyte loss. To ensure that horses recover from these losses, owners must have an accurate estimate…
Selenium for Horses
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Selenium for Horses: How Important Is It?
Over the years, the importance of selenium for equine nutrition have changed dramatically. In the 1930s, scientists first recognized selenium as a toxin. Research showed that selenium overdose in horses caused "alkali…
Health of Foals
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Early Nursing Kick-Starts the Health of Foals
Equine babies are hungry from the beginning. In their first days of life, foals can nurse up to ten times per hour. The foal needs to eat frequently for their health. Colostrum…
Vitamins for Horses
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Vitamins for Horses
Vitamins can be defined as organic substances necessary for proper nutrition of animals and plants. Vitamins, when taken in small amounts, can act as coenzymes or precursors to coenzymes in many metabolic…
How Much Hay To Feed Horses
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How Much Hay To Feed Horses: Where To Begin
mix of pasture grasses, baled Hay, and other forage products like hay cubes or hay pellets or haylage. Horses can process huge amounts of forage to meet their nutritional needs. But where…
Sweeney in Horses
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Sweeney in Horses: What Is It?
Although "sweeney" is not a term that modern horse owners hear often, it was common in the past when horses were more frequently driven. Sweeney is a hollowed area located…
Buttercup Toxicity in Horses
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Buttercup Toxicity in Horses
Buttercup (Ranunculus spp. Horses that eat this bright yellow perennial, biennial or annual flower can have serious health problems. Ranunculin is a glycoside found in many buttercup species that forms protoanemonin from the…
Horse Terms
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Stable Talk: Horse Terms
The horse world is no different from any other sport or hobby. There are many terms and jargons to learn. There are many terms to be familiarized with, and it is…
Peppermint for Horses
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The Everywhere Mint: Peppermint for Horses
Peppermint is everywhere: toothpaste, chocolates and teas. Peppermint flavoring is used in many horse treats, so even your tack area may not be immune. Do horses have a tendency to overdose on…
Electrolytes
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Electrolytes
The body cannot maintain the proper amount of fluid around its cells without electrolytes. The transmission of nerve impulses, and muscle contraction are also key functions played by electrolytes. The most…
Scoop on Feed Forms
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Get the Scoop on Feed Forms
100 years ago, horses were easy to feed. A farmer or trainer would go to the feed shop and buy a bag of corn or oats for their horses. Horse owners today…
Lupins in Horse
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Lupins in Horse Feeds
Since ancient times, lupins have been grown in Egypt and the Mediterranean. Lupins are a popular choice for Australian farm animals, as they can be used extensively for forage and feed…
Horse’s Pedigree
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Do You Know Your Horse’s Pedigree?
If your horse is purebred, and you have the registered name of the horse, you will likely find information on the sire or dam lines on multiple websites. You might find several options…
Insect Bite in Horses
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Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in Horses
Bug bite allergy (or insect bite hypersensitivity) is a very common problem in the summer. Horses that are susceptible to insect saliva can be allergic. All horses can be allergic to bites…
Horse Manure Consistency
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Changes in Horse Manure Consistency
Horses suffering from diarrhea and loose manure are usually due to one of three things: diet, antibiotic therapy, or disease. Horses can become dehydrated from excessive water loss due to diarrhea. If this…
Locking Stifles in Horses
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Locking Stifles in Horses
Anatomically, the stifle joint of a horse's hindleg corresponds to the knee joint in a human leg. The horse's stifle is not visible halfway down the leg like the human knee.…
Helping the Cast Horse
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Helping the Cast Horse
Cast horses are horses that have fallen too close to a wall or fence and become stuck in a difficult position. Cast horses can panic or struggle and some may simply…
Hemp Oil for Horses
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Hemp Oil for Horses
The horse industry is seeing an increase in hemp products. While hemp and marijuana are both considered cannabis, hemp contains minuscule levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the well-known psychoactive substance found…
Signs of Imminent Foaling in Mares
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Signs of Imminent Foaling in Mares
Most mares foal between 330 and 345 days after successful breeding. However, they can foal up to a week earlier or later. Experiential broodmare owners know the signs that indicate a…
Sunflower Seeds for Horses
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Sunflower Seeds for Horses: Yea or Nay?
In feed rooms all across the country, sunflower seeds are a common sight. Sunflower seeds are rich in fat, which may help horses gain weight, shine, and skin health. Are all…
The Horse with the Upturned Lip
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Flehmen: The Horse with the Upturned Lip
Flehmen refers to the horse's behavior of extending its neck and raising its head while inhaling. It also displays its front teeth by rolling its upper lip back, which is…
Rings and Ridges
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Rings and Ridges: What Horse Hooves Reveal
Horses' health is determined by their coat condition. Sheen and dapples indicate vitality. While dull, rough or half-shed hairs can indicate unthriftiness, or disease. Changes in hooves could also be a clue to…
Horse Splints
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Horse Splints
Understanding splints is difficult because our prehistoric ancestors of modern horses had multiple toes on each leg. While the horse of today walks on its tip of the middle toe, vestigial…
Castrating a Horse in the Field
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Castrating a Horse in the Field
Castrating a male horse is called gelding. It can be done at a vet hospital, but it is more common to do this in the field. The horse can be gelded…
Eight Tips for Healthy Horse Lungs
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Eight Tips for Healthy Horse Lungs
Inclement weather, management-related issues and overstocking are all factors that can impact horse time indoors. These factors all play a part in the horse's time indoors. Heaves is a condition that horses experience in a…
Equine Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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Equine Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Contagious Equine Metritis and Equine Viral Arteritis (STDs) are sexually transmitted diseases that affect horses. They can cause problems like low conception rates, abortions, sick or weak foals, as well…
Tail Hair Growth in Horses
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Tail Hair Growth in Horses
Long, straight tails are more effective at removing pesky insects than those with shorter, wispy or thin tails. Some horses have bristly, stubby tails due to circumstances--a chew-happy pasturemate is one…
The Use of Copra in Horse Feeds
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The Use of Copra in Horse Feeds
The oil industry has many by-products that are used in animal feeds. They are often useful additions to a healthy diet. Coconut oil is made from the white flesh of the coconut, not…
Pinworms in Horses
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Pinworms in Horses
Horses are generally not affected by pinworms, except for the occasional tail rubbing. Pinworms are females that emerge from the anus to lay eggs in sticky films. Horses can become itchy and…
Hay Selection for Horses
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Hay Selection for Horses
Hay is the main forage horse horses consume, and its importance in their diets cannot be denied. Hay may be the only food available for horses at certain times of the…
Feeding Oil to Horses
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Feeding Oil to Horses: Choose Wisely
When horses owners want to increase their energy consumption to gain weight or add sheen to their coats, they often reach for a jug vegetable oil. There are so many options, how…
Equine Neck Threadworms
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Equine Neck Threadworms: Signs and Treatment
Adult Onchocerca cerca worms are also known as equine neck threadworms. They live in the large nuchal, which runs from the poll to where the withers. Adult worms can be as thin as…
Enteroliths in Horses
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Enteroliths in Horses
Enteroliths are mineral deposits that form in the colon of horses. These are also called intestinal stones or calculi. These stones are usually found in thin layers surrounding a little bit of…
EPM and Horses
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EPM and Horses: 9 Fast Facts
Horses continue to be affected by Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). This causes neurological deficits that can threaten their athletic careers as well as their lives. EPM is still a challenging diagnosis and…
Oats: The Perfect Horse Feed?
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Oats: The Perfect Horse Feed?
You would think that oats are just oats. All oats may not be created equally. Oats that are fed to horses are usually whole. This means that each kernel is protected…
Feeding Horses for Dapples
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Feeding Horses for Dapples: Five Tips
A horse or pony with a gleaming coat is a sign of their good health and well-being. A high-quality hair coat is dependent on the groomer's frequency and intensity, as well…
Putting Weight on a Skinny Horse
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Putting Weight on a Skinny Horse
It makes it easy to feed the horses. They look amazing in warmbloods. Their weight is great and their coats look amazing. The one Thoroughbred who arrived in the barn a little skinny…
The Importance of Magnesium in Horse Diets
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The Importance of Magnesium in Horse Diets
Magnesium, a vital micromineral is being recommended more often by veterinarians for horse treatment. What is the purpose of magnesium for horses? Magnesium plays a variety of roles in the body. Magnesium is one…
Hobbles on Your Horse
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Using Hobbles on Your Horse
The hobbles, which are connected loops that connect horses' front legs together, have been used for centuries to prevent them from wandering when there isn't a place to tie them…
Benefits of Beet Pulp for Horses
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Benefits of Beet Pulp for Horses
The horse's hindgut is home to fiber fermentation, which provides energy for growth, work and play. Horses eat mainly pasture and hay. However, there are other forages that can supplement energy…
Sleep Requirements of Horses
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Sleep Requirements of Horses
Although horses can and do stand up sleeping, all horses need to lie down at some point in order to have a complete sleep cycle and avoid sleep deprivation. The time and place…
Hot Blood, Warm Blood, Cold Blood in Horses
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Hot Blood, Warm Blood, Cold Blood in Horses
Did you know that horses are "cold-blooded?" What does it mean if someone at your barn says a horse is a warmblood? The designations are confusing because all horses are mammals and…
Feeding Treats to Horses
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Feeding Treats to Horses
You love your horse if you do. You probably enjoy giving your horse treats from time-to-time. Your horse will eat whatever you give him and want more. Every horse in your stable will…
Ultrasound and Your Horse
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Ultrasound and Your Horse
Radiographs can be useful for diagnosing bony structures but ultrasound is the most versatile tool that a modern veterinarian has. A recent graduate of veterinary school may have more ultrasound experience…
Potomac Horse Fever
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Potomac Horse Fever
Neorickettsia is responsible for Potomac Horse Fever (formerly Ehrlichia). The disease was first described as a sporadic infection that affected horses living in the eastern United States, near the Potomac River. It has…
Horse Popped Knees
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Popped Knees
One of my email friends mentioned that her horse had a "popped knee" while I was talking to her. Although I didn't want to appear ignorant, I don't know what it…
Summer Sores
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Summer Sores
Habronemiasis is a condition that many people don't associate with flies. It can also be called summer sores (granular dermatitis), jack sores or any other name you choose. Summer sores are…
Understanding Proud Flesh
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Understanding Proud Flesh
Horses' limbs and bodies are very susceptible to wounds. Distal (lower-to-below the knee/carpus, hock/tarsus) wounds can be particularly difficult to manage. This often leads to exuberant granulation tissue and proud flesh. Complete…
The Truth About Ringbone
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The Truth About Ringbone
Ringbone is a common diagnosis. All horses, including those that are young or old, as well as backyard pets and athletes of high caliber, can be affected by the disease. Some horses…
Ways to Improve Your Western Riding
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10 Ways to Improve Your Western Riding
Although western riding can seem effortless, it is hard work and skillful horsemanship that make it look that way. You can either hire a professional trainer or learn how to do…
Alternative Treats for Metabolic Horses
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Alternative Treats for Metabolic Horses
For horses with insulin disorders or Cushings, it can be hard to find safe treats. Even though horses love a good scratch, it is nice to reward them with a snack.Carrots…
How Horses Grow Winter Coats
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How Horses Grow Winter Coats
Autumn days - a chill in the air and geese flying south. Pumpkins...and fuzzy horses. Many horses start to put on winter coats in autumn. But what is the cause? It could…
Best Horse Breeds for Kids
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Best Horse Breeds for Kids
Which horse is the best for children? There isn't a single breed. Each horse is unique and it is dangerous for you to use breed as your primary indicator of temperament. You can narrow down…
A Guide to Gelding
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A Guide to Gelding
Castration is the most commonly performed equine surgery on horse farms. While veterinarians may use different methods, routine castrations follow the same process and aftercare procedures. These are the essential facts to…
American Paint Horse
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American Paint Horse
American Paint Horse History Hernando Cortes, an explorer from 1519, carried two horses with pinto markings aboard his voyage. This is the first American description of such horses. Horses with Paint coloring…
Why Women Love Horses
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Why Women Love Horses
Why women love horses: The connection between horses, girls, and later women has been hidden from sociologists until recently.Corrie Bruning, a seventeen-year old girl admits she is a horse girl. She…
Facts About Buckskin Horses
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10 Fun Facts About Buckskin Horses
We've been exploring the beauty and charm of black horses, palominos, chestnuts, the joy of greys over the last few months. It's no surprise that we love buckskin horses. There's nothing more beautiful than a gorgeous buckskin. Continue…