Horse Lovers

 
 
Sunburn in horses looks very much like human sunburn.  The skin turns pink or even an angry red.  If left untreated too long, the sunburned skin starts to chap and crack.  Horses that suffering from severe sunburn will start to blister.  

Preventing sunburn around your horse's eyes is fairly simple.  All your need to do is purchase a fly mask for the horse.  Please note that when using a fly mask it is extremely important that you keep the mask clean. You can do this by taking a hose and sprayer and using them to rinse dirt and eye gunk from the mask.  After you have rinsed the fly mask, hang it in the sun to dry.

Some fly masks come with an extension that protects the end of the horse's nose from becoming sunburned.  If you do not own this kind of fly mask, no problem: all you need to do is rub your horse’s nose with sunscreen that you purchase at your local pharmacy.  Yes, there are special sunscreens made especially for horses, but you don’t need to go to the extra expense and inconvenience of obtaining such special sunscreens.  Human sunscreen will work perfectly fine on your horse.

Some horse owners, especially those who want to show, attempt to keep the sun from damaging their horse’s coat by keeping the animals inside during hours when the sun is at its most damaging.  Other owners prefer to keep their horses covered with a lighweight turnout blanket or a fly sheet.  One of the reasons many owners prefer a blanketed horse to one kept inside is that they feel that keeping a horse stalled and completely free of sunlight can lead to depression.

Beth Moore, author of this article, has been a leading authority on horse grooming and especially on growing long, thick manes and tails on horses for over more than two decides.  You can learn more about her methods and claim a free report on the benefits of owning gorgeous horses at www.horsemane.info.
 
People often ask me where I learned so much about horses, and in particular the secrets to growing long, beautiful manes (and tails) on my horses. Well, some of it was trial and error on my part, but I eventually figured out a lot on my own.  However, I will readily confess that I never learned so much as I did the day I discovered Beth Moore.  She has a downloadable book that is the last word on how to beautify a horse -- indeed, she refers to her methods as the road to creating "fairy tale horses."
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Grow manes and tails
Do you want to see something really amazing?  Click on the horse at left (or just click here) to see some really amazing mane growth results. Beth Moore knows what she's talking about, that's for sure.

 
As you may know, I am a firm believer that the proper nutritional supplementation, on top of basic good health care, can actually help your horse to grow out its mane to a length and thickness that will amaze everyone who sees it.  I've written on this subject myself in a number of places.  Leave it to my mom, though, to come up with the best general introduction to the use of supplements for extraordinary mane growth:

Nutrients to Improve Your Horse's Mane
by Sarah Sandori

As serious horse owners and ring competitors, we devote a great deal of time to making our horse's mane as gorgeous as possible.

Now, many people might consider this obsession with manes to be frivolous. But we (my family and I) are completely serious about it.  In our experience, having a horse with a long, thick, flowing mane will win the prize over a horse that may technically be more in line with standards, but that has an unremarkable mane.

Good basic grooming is important to bringing out the best of your horse's mane. It need not stop there, though, and in my opinion should not stop there. Take the subject of nutrition.  Did you know that you can often dramatically increase the appearance of a horse's mane, tail, and overall coat by supplying selected dietary supplements, most of which are quite inexpensive and easily obtained?

Even if your goal is not to stun people with the beauty of your horse, the right nutritional supplements can prevent definite faults such as a brittle mane, or bald patches.

Flax seed is one of the best of all supplements to give a horse, in that it promotes all-around hair growth. Cider vinegar is another great addition to the diet, for general health and for preventing certain diseases.

Does your horse frequently scratch itself against objects, wearing its hair off in spots? A garlic supplement will control the itching and reduce or eliminate such scratching.

If you want a genuine super nutrient to give your horse, try biotin. This is a vitamin crucial to cell production throughout the body, and is particularly vital if you want your horse to have great hair.

All of these nutrients can help your horse's mane to look both thicker and healthier. Why not give them a try?

Is it really possible to take an average looking horse and grow a long, thick, flowing mane on it -- in a matter of mere months? Yes, it is. And it will give you an edge in the competition ring.

Beautifying a horse in this way has also proved profitable for a number of savvy horse people. These are the folks who will buy a mediocre animal, then apply the secret methods that spur the mane to burst forth in long, cascading locks, creating a real "fairy tale" horse. They then easily re-sell the horse for much more than they paid, making a nice profit for themselves.

Of course, most horse owners learn the secrets of growing amazing manes simply for the pleasure it affords them.

My own daughter, Lacy, has become obsessed with figuring out how to increase the length and thickness of her horses' manes. She has compiled some of what she has learned, along with valuable horse grooming and care advice, at her site on Beautifying A Horse's Mane.

Her source of the true insiders' secrets for growing astonishing manes may be found at http://www.HorseMane.info. As someone who has seen her horses take home the big prizes, time after time, all I can say is: it works.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Sandori
 
As you've certainly guessed by now, my own special interest is in horse beauty and appearance and how to amplify them.  But riding is fun, too. So here's a video I found of a particular aspect of riding, namely, how to get your horse to run at a jog.
 
Horse Manes The horse mane is where it's at, in my opinion. If you show horses, the single most significant visual improvement you can make to these wonderful animals is to grow long and luxurious manes on them.

Horse Tails A horse's tail performs many practical functions -- it can even express the animal's emotions, if you know how to read it. Horse tails are also objects of great beauty.

Beautifying A Horse's Mane I spend a lot of time working on beautifying my horse's mane. Why? There are many reasons, but topping the list for me is the fact that a gorgeous mane is an indisputable show stopper in the competition ring.

Horse Mane Braiding Normally, I like to let my horses' manes flow freely. But horse mane braiding is fun and will often catch the judges' eyes in the competition ring.

Horse Mane and Tail Info Don't neglect your horse's mane and tail. A little knowledge and extra care will make a huge difference in the pleasure you receive from owning one of these magnificent creatures.
 
My mom's a really good writer. Most of the time, she's writing about cooking and food and all kinds of scruptious stuff.  But she has come to love horses almost as much as her daughter does, so here's an article she recently did on horse tail grooming.

Basics of Grooming Horse Tails
by Sarah Sandori

What to do with a horse's tail?  That might seem an odd question, but it's one that horse owners answer in a variety of ways.

It might seem that the easiest and most natural way to care for your horse's tail is simply to let it fly free. What's more beautiful than the sight of a high-spirited horse runnning in a field, its long, flowing tail flicking joyfully this way and that?

Unfortunately, a "natural" tail -- one that is neither cut nor tied up in a knot -- is rarely maintenance-free. At a minimum you can expect tangles to develop in it; at worst, it can become so matted with dirt, mud, twigs and leaves that you might end up having to cut much of it off anyway.

If you own a horse, you know that you must groom it frequently. You should expect that you cannot escape grooming the tail along with everything else.

If you're new to horse care, the good news is that you needn't groom the tail every day. In fact, when it comes to grooming the equine tail, less is more. For most horses, brushing the tail every third day is about right. And when you brush, you should do it as lightly as possible, to avoid pulling out any more hairs than is absolutely unavoidable.

Before brushing, use a tangle remover or a conditioner made especially for horses, gently working the stuff into the tail hair and carefully removing as many knots or tangles as you can. Once you have done this, then you can brush.

Some people cut the hair of their horse's tail quite short, because they think it looks neater that way, or because it minimizes chances of the tail picking up dirt and mud. Others like to tie a knot in the tail, for the same reasons.

In my family of horse lovers, we are definitely biased toward maintaining long, thick, flowing tails on our horses. But there is no final right or wrong answer to the question of what to do with a horse's tail. As long as you treat it gently and make sure it is kept in good, clean condition, the choice is all yours.

Many people wonder if it's really possible to take an average looking horse and grow a long, thick, flowing tail or mane on it -- in a matter of mere months. Answer: Yes, it is.

A gorgeous tail can actually mean the winning difference in equine competitions,, even against horses that may technically be superior in terms of strict conformation. After all, judges are human, too!

Beautifying a horse by helping it to reach its full potential in terms of tail and mane growth has proved profitable for a number of savvy horse people. These are the folks who will buy a mediocre animal, then apply the secret methods that spur the tail and mane to flourish luxuriantly, creating a real "fairy tale" horse. They then easily re-sell the horse for much more than they paid, thereby making a nice profit.

Of course, most horse owners learn the secrets of growing amazing tails and manes simply for the pleasure it brings them.

My own daughter, Lacy, has become obsessed with figuring out how to increase the length and thickness of her horses' tails. She has compiled some of what she has learned about tail growth in particular at her Horse Tails site.

Her source of the true insiders' secrets for growing astonishing tails and manes may be found at http://www.HorseMane.info. As someone who has seen her horses take home the big prizes, time after time, all I can say is: it works.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Sandori
 
Here's a nice video I found on YouTube showing how to braid a horse's mane for a show. Nice work!  Also, be sure to check out my own horse mane braiding site.
 
Hello, and welcome to my new blog.  If you love horses, then we are kindred spirits.  I'll be blogging here about our favorite four-legged companions, and in particular about the things I've learned about how to bring out a horse's full potential in terms of appearance and overall good health.  I hope you enjoy it, and that you learn a tidbit or two that you didn't know before.