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.

During the summer we humans, most of us anyway, are cognizant of the risks and dangers of remaining too long in the sun. We know that spending too much time in the sun brings the threat that a gorgeous tan will turn into an ugly and painful sunburn.  Besides the pain and the unsightlines, it is well known now that sunburns can be the first step toward a bad case of skin cancer.  We use everything from sunscreen to lightweight cover-ups to head off skin burning.

Because they are big and powerful animals, we often forget about the effect that the sun has on our horses.  Horses, like people, can get a sunburn.  You'll most often see sunburn on horses with a light-colored coat: Appaloosa's, Lipizzans, Paints, Pintos, Andalusians, and grays come to mind.  People who own horses with white noses and a lot of pale skin around their eyes will frequently find themselves needing to treat their equine companions for sunburn.

Sudden hormonal changes, like mares that are in foal, can cause horses to become extra sensitive to sun.  Certain medications can also trigger sun sensitivity, which can lead to sunburn in horses. Tetracycline is one medication that is known to cause extra sensitivity to the sun among some horses.

Although dark horses are not usually victims of sunburn, the sun often bleaches the dark hair, causing the animals to look scruffy and dull.  It can make the mane and tail frizz and split, which is not at all attractive.

The second part of this article on sunburn in horses will be posted soon. The writer is the an expert horse woman who is also author of the No. 1 expert's guide to growing long, thick manes and tails on almost any horse.

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."

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

Basic stuff for some of you, but I know that many readers are newcomers to horseman or horsewomanship. Nice video from Louisiana State University explaining horse saddling.

Once again, with great pleasure, I turn this space over to my Mom. She really has a knack for words, plus she loves horses as I do, almost as much as she loves cooking great food for her family and for guests.  Even before she got interested in horses herself, she was always super-supportive of my own equine obsession. For that, I thank you, Mom!  Love ya'!

Creating Beautiful Horse Manes
by Sarah Sandori

In my household we spend much enjoyable time trying to figure out ways we can make our horses look their absolute best. For the biggest yet easiest improvements to a horse's appearance, we all agree that the mane is where it's at.

A horse's mane might be called its crowning glory. Certainly it is one of the first things most people notice about these animals.

Although there are techniques available for growing stupendous horse manes, everything starts with good grooming.

There is a tried and true method for brushing the mane that works well with practically every breed of horse known. Take your brush and, starting at the bottom of the strands of hair, brush or comb downward, one section of mane at a time. Continue this until you can smoothly comb all the way from the top to the bottom of the mane, without hitting snags or tangles.

If the hair is badly tangled, a de-tangling horse grooming spray or just some conditioner will make the job go easier. This will also help clean and shine the hair.

If your horse's mane tends to fall onto the opposite side of the neck from where you want it, you might try "laying" it, as the procedure is called.

The best way to accomplish laying is with the use of elastic bands. You just small make bunches of hair up and down the mane, tying each one off with a band very close to the horse's neck, and positioned on the side you want them to lie. It usually takes no more than a week of this for that unruly mane to be completely tamed.

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.

A gorgeous, flowing mane (and tail) will win contests, even against horses that may technically be superior in terms of strict conformation. After all, judges are human, too!

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 Horse Manes site.

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.

Do you know about scribd.com?  It's a wonderful site where any one can publish a document -- from business letter or memo to an entire book -- where other people may easily read it and download it if they wish.

I have used scribd for posting my ebook titled The Horse Mane Book.  My mother posted her own book of scrumptious recipes there as Sarah's Special Recipes and Food Tips. Then I have friends who have published ebooks there; check out Secrets to Employment On A Superyacht and the Big Book of Dog Secrets for a couple of examples.

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.

Here's a good video for your enjoyment and education on how to groom a horse's tail. My congratulations to the video maker. (And don't forget my own web page about horse tails: www.squidoo.com/HorseTails