Does your horse really care about birthday sales….

Yes it’s the 1st August, the day that the southern hemisphere decided to create a “horses birthday” to standardise the industry (with the northern hemisphere celebrating it on the 1st January) based on the breeding cycles.
And it is also a day that most people who don’t know their horses actual birth date celebrate.  In the retail industry it is a day that notoriously has “birthday sales” with discounts offered to entice you to spend more money!  But does your horse really care if you have a new saddlecloth in some amazing colour (because horses only see dichromatic light, which is the blue and green spectrums), or do they know that you brought them a new bridle…..was it really for their benefit or yours…. be honest here!!
What we’d like you to give your horse is something that they will value, that they will enjoy, and that will make them more comfortable in the long run, plus last a lot longer then a birthday cake!!

So we have come up with 6 things that you can easily do for your horse to help them be happier and keep them going til their next birthday!!  No money required!

Give your horse a rub!  You don’t need to know how to massage your horse to give it a good rub.  As mutual groomers your horse will love it but it also gives you a chance to have a good feel over their body and will promote good circulation and a much healthier coat. We have a whole series of videos on YouTube on horse massage.  https://www.youtube.com/user/equestricare

Stretch your horse.  There are many benefits to stretching such as increased flexibility, range of motion, help improve performance in physical activities and many many more.  Stretches don’t need to be hard, and they don’t need to take a long period of time, you can do one to two each day and your horse will love you for it!  We have put together a quick video which demonstrates some of the easiest and most beneficial stretches you can do with your horse and you can access it here: https://youtu.be/tugE_W9me9k  

Making sure your saddle fits.  A lot of people get their saddle fitted because someone has told them it’s something you should do, but they don’t really understand why, aside from trying to keep their horse comfortable.  The biggest reason that we want to make sure our saddle fits is that the back is not designed to carry weight, it’s designed to support movement, which is hindered by the weight of the saddle and rider.  The back has a variety of locomotive muscles and spinal ligaments which need to be free from pressure and able to move whilst the saddle is sitting on the horse, as well as bones such as the spine and scapula that should not be impeded by the saddle.  Therefore it is vitally important that you have the right saddle for the size and shape of your horse. We have a short online course in “Understanding Saddle Assessment” which is currently half price, you can find out more about here: https://horsemassagecourse.com.au/product/starting-out-in-saddle-assessment-online-course

Understanding if your horse is in pain.  There are areas of the body that undergo excessive stress and strain from the riding that we do with our horses.  They may be areas that the saddle sits or are directly over joints or in junctions of multiple muscles, and pain in these areas doesn’t necessarily mean we’re doing anything wrong, it might just be pain and tension from working as an athlete.  These areas of “stress” are easy to palpate for to get an idea of how your horse is going.  We have put together a short video of them for you which you can access here: https://youtu.be/YxhwinN-BtU

Making sure your horse is fit for purpose.  Everyone has different ways of getting their horse (or themselves) fit for purpose, but a lot of the issue I see with muscle pain, strain and injury in the performance horse is that people don’t actually understand what getting their horse fit for purpose involves, or how to go about it.  Unfortunately fitness is discipline and horse specific and there is not one solution or program for everyone.  We have put together an ebook on Understanding Equine Fitness and are offering it to you this month at the bargain price of $5  https://horsemassagecourse.com.au/product/equine-fitness-ebook

And last but not least, Love your horse!  Horses are not machines, they are sentient beings that put up with a lot more from us then they should and we need to show them we care.  This goes further then just making sure they have access to fresh water, good food and shelter. As good horse owners we also need to make sure that all our horses needs are being taken care of.  This includes making sure their feet are done regularly, that we don’t let their teeth get sharp.  That the equipment we are using on them fits and is in good condition.  That we are looking after their health needs and making sure they see a vet if and when they require, or a bodyworker to make sure they are not in pain.  That they are getting adequate exercise for what we require of them. That we are having lessons ourselves so we can be as balanced as possible on their backs.  Really I could list over 100 things that we can do to make our horses lives better, but if you can just make sure that these few easy things are done your horse will be much happier. So give your horse a carrot and a hug xxx and HAPPY BIRTHDAY HORSES