Central Florida Horse Shows
and Horse Services

Horse News

May 13, 2013
Can Horses Recognize People and Voices?
By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Are horses really capable of recognizing their owners and their voices? Study results from a team of British behavior researchers suggest that horses really do appear to be capable of matching voices to faces when it comes to the humans they know.

“We already know that horses can discriminate between different human faces and between familiar and unfamiliar people, but this is the first time we have shown that they can associate the right voices with the right people,” said Leanne Proops, PhD, of the Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research group at the University of Sussex, in the United Kingdom. More info...

May 12, 2013
Start Now With Fly Prevention: 5 Ways To Keep Flies Under Control
by Amy Herdy

Spring may be late in many parts of the country this year, but horse owners don’t want to be late with preventative fly control practices, according to Laurie Cerny, publisher of www.good-horsekeeping.com, a website devoted to practical horse care.

“You don’t want to wait until it’s 85 degrees out and with humidity to match to think about fly control,” Cerny said. “Early prevention is key to having fewer flies around your horses and stable this summer.”

Here are some things you can do now to be ready for fly season:

1. Harrow pastures (break up manure piles) and muck out dry lots or pens. This might also mean bringing in some new sand for areas that have been saturated with manure and urine. Stalls and run-in sheds should also be stripped of old bedding. Old manure, dirty bedding, and feces saturated soil will all attract flies and insects once the temperature increases. More info...

May 11, 2013
Use Caution when Fertilizing with Raw Horse Manure
For home gardeners, spring is a busy time of year and there’s never a tomato with more flavor than one grown to full ripeness on the vine. But there are also many safety precautions to follow to prevent contamination of fruits and vegetables with pathogens that cause serious foodborne illness.

Michele Jay-Russell, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVPM, a veterinarian and research microbiologist at the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security and program manager of the Western Center for Food Safety, recently co-authored a study that highlights the need to be aware of the hazards associated with using raw animal manure to fertilize home gardens. The study will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Zoonoses and Public Health.

The basis for the study began in July of 2010 when a Shire mare from a rura More info...

May 8, 2013
Avoid Big Vet Bills
By Juli S. Thorson

You can save $100s, even $1,000s on vet-care costs with simple changes to your everyday routine.

Illustration by June Brigman
You probably need no lessons on how to cut your everyday horse-care costs. As mandatory enrollees in The School of Struggling Economy, that's something we've all had to learn in the last few years. Many of us even have become A students in the subjects of scrimping, saving, and getting by. We could write term papers about buying bulk, giving shots on our own, and making old things last.

But there's one thing guaranteed to flunk just about anyone's carefully studied horsekeeping budget, and that's the unexpected big vet bill for a horse that's injured or ill. A single emergency farm call can run into hundreds, and ongoing crisis-care costs can come to resemble student loans-large, with lots of zeroes, and daunting, in terms of what it'll take to pay them off. More info...

May 2, 2013
Rolex 2013 Cross Country
You have got to see this

May 2, 2013
Some great tips from Chris Cox Horsemanship about using your seat to communicate...
By Cynthia McFarland with Chris Cox

Cue your horse by using a correct seat position.

Seat position #2: Sit in the center of the saddle seat upright on your seat bones, not rocked back on your pockets.
Photo by John Basseaux
“Your seat is your greatest aid in communicating with your horse,” says two-time Road to the Horse Champion and popular clinician Chris Cox of Mineral Wells, Texas. “Using your seat effectively can keep you from overusing your reins.

“As you begin refining your horsemanship, your first cue—whether you’re stopping, slowing or turning your horse—should always come from your seat, and then travel down and through your legs. Your hands should always give the lightest of your cues.”

As you fine-tune your seat position, keep your shoulders square and in line with your horse’s shoulders. Avoid unconsciously twisting your shoulders to one side, which puts you off balance.

Remove items from your back pockets, which can also offset your balance. Breathe deeply and evenly to enhance your balance and stability. More info...

Apr 28, 2013
How Horse Wounds Heal
Erica Larson, News Editor

Whether large or small, serious or innocuous, all wounds follow a distinct and complex healing process. During the 2013 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 17-21 in Las Vegas, Nev., one veterinarian reviewed how wounds heal and how owners can help facilitate healing.

"(Wounds are) a fascinating topic; you never know what you're going to come across," said Bimbo Welker, DVM, MS, a clinical associate professor in the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a practitioner at OSU's Large Animal Services, in Marysville, Ohio. More info...

Apr 26, 2013
Employment Opportunities
Denver, Colorado

Denver Equestrians LLC is a classical horseback riding school for adults and children founded in 2008. Our students are of varying abilities and riding goals. We are always looking for enthusiastic team players who are safety-oriented, courteous and professional, with a flexible attitude and willingness to help students, staff and other instructors. Scroll down for available opportunities within our growing company.

Horseback Riding Lessons, English Equitation, Hunt Seat, Jumping, Dressage Training. We offer school horses, and our riding stables are located in the Southwest Denver suburbs in Colorado. Equestrian Horse Day Camp with Horse... More info...

Apr 26, 2013
Family Fun Day at Serenity Farms
Howey-in-the-Hills, FL
Please join us on Saturday, April 27th for a day of fun for the entire family on a 300 acre horse farm. There will be fun for people of all ages! See our beautiful performing horses plus photo opportunities with them. More info...

Apr 26, 2013
Fixing the Needle-Phobic Horse
By Barb Crabbe, DVM

Does your horse panic at the sight of a needle and syringe? Learn why he says “whoa, no way!” to needles—and how to solve this frustrating (sometimes dangerous) problem.

Illustration by Scott Peck
“Well, Doc, he’s just a little needle shy,” or “he doesn’t like vets much.” Translated? “He’s going to try to kill you if you even think about showing him a needle. I don’t know how you’re ever going to get near him, much less get him vaccinated/sedated/medicated.”

We vets have all seen ’em—those horses that just won’t tolerate a needle. They rear, strike, and bite. Some run away, others run us over. Some even twist their bodies into a pretzel trying to kick us out of the way. If you’ve ever owned a needle-phobic horse, you’re probably well aware of how anxiety-producing even yearly vaccination appointments can be—never mind what you’d do if your horse ever had a serious injury or illness. How could your vet ever provide treatment? More info...