The Kids' Barn at The Mooreland Equestrian Center
Equine Fun For Kids and Kids at Heart
Horse Know How
To Shoe or Not to Shoe
Some horses wear metal shoes, some wear none and some use special removable shoes when they need extra protection for their feet.
Horses and ponies wear shoes for many reasons. Some need shoes because of medical conditions. Sera wears shoes to deal with a navicular problem, very common in horse of her breed and size. The picture below is of a special pad that fits between the shoe and the foot. It is designed to help absorb vibration and shock. It does seem to work very well. In the winter she will have to either be barefoot, the best option for ice and snow, or wear special pads that keep the ice and snow forming snowballs on her metal shoes. These "snowballs" are very difficult to remove and can be very dangerous for horses.
Our ponies are all barefoot. Most ponies can be barefoot. Their feet are generally the right size for their bodies and they carry less weight on their feet and legs. Ponies who work 4 or 5 hours per day sometimes need shoes because their feet wear down faster than they would in the wild.
Although most horses do not love having their feet worked on they do move better when their foot is properly shod or trimmed. Shoeing can cost anywhere from $80 to $400 depending on the needs of the horse and the experience of the farrier. Trims can cost between $40 and $100. There is an old horse saying that goes "no foor, no horse" so it is very important that you choose your farrier carefully. A horse or pony should never come up lame after it is shod or trimmed.
Some horses wear metal shoes, some wear none and some use special removable shoes when they need extra protection for their feet.
Horses and ponies wear shoes for many reasons. Some need shoes because of medical conditions. Sera wears shoes to deal with a navicular problem, very common in horse of her breed and size. The picture below is of a special pad that fits between the shoe and the foot. It is designed to help absorb vibration and shock. It does seem to work very well. In the winter she will have to either be barefoot, the best option for ice and snow, or wear special pads that keep the ice and snow forming snowballs on her metal shoes. These "snowballs" are very difficult to remove and can be very dangerous for horses.
Our ponies are all barefoot. Most ponies can be barefoot. Their feet are generally the right size for their bodies and they carry less weight on their feet and legs. Ponies who work 4 or 5 hours per day sometimes need shoes because their feet wear down faster than they would in the wild.
Although most horses do not love having their feet worked on they do move better when their foot is properly shod or trimmed. Shoeing can cost anywhere from $80 to $400 depending on the needs of the horse and the experience of the farrier. Trims can cost between $40 and $100. There is an old horse saying that goes "no foor, no horse" so it is very important that you choose your farrier carefully. A horse or pony should never come up lame after it is shod or trimmed.
Horseware in Winter
Many people see our horses in the winter months wearing blankets and rain sheets and wonder why. Horses in the wild live in all kinds of weather, however they are in much larger spaces and have the option of moving away from bad weather and finding more ways to get shelter from the rain and wind.
Our horses don't have as many options so we help them with turnout and blanket management. Horses are sub-artic animals and enjoy much cooler temps than humans. They are comfortable in temps ranging from 20 degrees to 60 degrees F. We typically don't turn them out for extended periods of time when temps are below 50 degrees F and it is raining and for that time you will see them in their rain sheets, a waterproof, breathable garment that helps them stay dry. We also use sheets when it is cold and windy to help keep the warmth in their dense coats. Once temps fall below 25 degrees F we put on blankets. These are basically rain sheets with meduim fill to help keep them just a little bit warmer and more comfortable. In extreme weather we simply keep them inside.
Not everyone blankets their horses. Those horses develop a very thick coat that helps them to repel water and kkep them warm. However, this extra coat makes it very difficult to exercise and ride them in the cold winter months without spending and hour or so drying them out after work. We blanket to help keep our horses more comfortable and to allow them greater turnout options in the winter months.
Come by the farm to learn more about horses and horsecare.
Many people see our horses in the winter months wearing blankets and rain sheets and wonder why. Horses in the wild live in all kinds of weather, however they are in much larger spaces and have the option of moving away from bad weather and finding more ways to get shelter from the rain and wind.
Our horses don't have as many options so we help them with turnout and blanket management. Horses are sub-artic animals and enjoy much cooler temps than humans. They are comfortable in temps ranging from 20 degrees to 60 degrees F. We typically don't turn them out for extended periods of time when temps are below 50 degrees F and it is raining and for that time you will see them in their rain sheets, a waterproof, breathable garment that helps them stay dry. We also use sheets when it is cold and windy to help keep the warmth in their dense coats. Once temps fall below 25 degrees F we put on blankets. These are basically rain sheets with meduim fill to help keep them just a little bit warmer and more comfortable. In extreme weather we simply keep them inside.
Not everyone blankets their horses. Those horses develop a very thick coat that helps them to repel water and kkep them warm. However, this extra coat makes it very difficult to exercise and ride them in the cold winter months without spending and hour or so drying them out after work. We blanket to help keep our horses more comfortable and to allow them greater turnout options in the winter months.
Come by the farm to learn more about horses and horsecare.
Spring Grooming
I started to brush Misty the other day and hair started to fly off her body. Shedding time is a sure sign that the weather will warm up and that the days are getting longer. Most people are amazed by the amount of hair that comes off of the ponies as spring approaches. Not only is it nice to think about warmer days and more sunshine, the extra work it takes to properly groom the ponies helps to warm you up as well.
We will be offering free grooming sessions to the public. You will learn how to groom and get to know the ponies. We will be setting up grooming sessions soon. Watch our site for more details.
I started to brush Misty the other day and hair started to fly off her body. Shedding time is a sure sign that the weather will warm up and that the days are getting longer. Most people are amazed by the amount of hair that comes off of the ponies as spring approaches. Not only is it nice to think about warmer days and more sunshine, the extra work it takes to properly groom the ponies helps to warm you up as well.
We will be offering free grooming sessions to the public. You will learn how to groom and get to know the ponies. We will be setting up grooming sessions soon. Watch our site for more details.
