There are many reasons for a horse to have cracked hooves such as poor nutrition, dry weather or dry weather alternating with wet weather. Infrequent or improper trimming can also cause hooves to crack but in Gift’s case none of these conditions existed.
When a person thinks about the Wood horse temperament what often comes to mind is a racehorse. The Wood horse temperament is powerful, athletic, smart and headstrong. These are great characteristics for a racehorse but not so good if you want a horse of your own to compete and have fun with. Yet, there are … Continue Reading »
Spooks may be fun for Halloween, but a violent horse spook is no fun ever for the horse or rider. Causes and natural solutions for horses that spook.
Cody was bought as a jumping prospect off the track. He had a lot of talent but he was not a consistent winner. As a Shao Yang horse temperament(Fire/Wood), Cody could be volatile and unpredictable when out of balance. I could certainly see how this affected his career as a racehorse because working on Cody … Continue Reading »
Horse Temperament typing is valuable for health issues as well as behavior. When you know the temperament you can more accurately predict problems or choose the most successful treatment for current challenges. Kuffs is an ex-racehorse who I was able to help more easily once I knew his temperament. I was able to use the … Continue Reading »
Here is the history on Cooper, a Metal horse temperament, from his owner, Pat. She was so frustrated with Cooper’s aggressive behavior. Cooper is a 5 year old Quarterhorse gelding that stands 16 hands. He has been easy-going and calm since he has been a foal. When in the pasture with other horses, he has … Continue Reading »
I don’t know anyone who likes to clean a horse’s sheath. It is messy and the smell stays with you forever. Most horses that are out in pasture rarely need to have their sheaths cleaned because they are not exposed to lots of moist bedding and they can move around. That being said, the Earth … Continue Reading »
Once you have determined the correct horse temperament you may ask, “What good does this do me?” Well for one thing it could help you chose the best horse supplements so you don’t waste money on products that are not a fit for your horse. Let’s look at some additional Five Element theory to see … Continue Reading »
Chia seeds were in short supply last fall and I made the huge mistake of letting my Metal horse temperament gelding go without them. Remi had been doing so well with his shoes and fill in pad material that I thought he would be OK without the chia seeds. Not the case. Within 8 weeks … Continue Reading »
Open any horse supply catalog and you will find upwards of 40 pages of different horse supplements. The reason there are so many supplements has to do with the poor quality of many of our horse foods and hay. This is not the fault of the horse food companies but a reflection of the general … Continue Reading »
I took Remi, my Yang Ming(Metal/Earth), horse temperament, gelding, to a ranch sorting last weekend. We both had a blast. Remi has had some bad experiences in the past and he can get very tense when going to new places. I want him to be able to overcome his learned behaviors of holding his breath … Continue Reading »
The Jue Yin horse temperament can be tricky to work with. He wants to be the boss but when he finds himself in control he gets worried. Kinda sounds like your average teenager. I worked last weekend with a Jue Yin mare named Pheobe. Pheobe had the habit of bucking on the trail if she … Continue Reading »
I rode my Yang Ming horse temperament, gelding, Remi, in a Tom Curtain horsemanship clinic last weekend. He was a star. This will be the third Tom Curtain clinic for Remi and it has been a blast to see him progress. The first clinic he could barely canter he was so stiff and tight. I … Continue Reading »
Buying your dream horse is a huge investment, not only initially but as an ongoing expense. Making the wrong choice can be a very expensive mistake. Not only can the wrong horse cost you money, but buying a horse that is not a match for your skill level or imagined activities could actually put you … Continue Reading »
I am so blessed to live just 5 minutes from a wonderful lake where I can take my horses to swim. I have noticed that Metal and Metal horse combination types really enjoy the water. Remi, my Metal/Earth(YangMing) horse temperament, is no exception and he will splash endlessly in the water tough. Remi loves to … Continue Reading »
The Metal horse temperament is generally strong and tough but their achilles heel is – their heels. The Metal horse has a tendency to contracted, sore heels. Confirmation can play a part as many Metal horses have short, upright pasterns and boxy hooves. This naturally upright hoof can become contracted when shoes are applied early … Continue Reading »
Poor Remi got a huge tick in his ear. I discovered this when I went to bring his right ear forward to bridle him. Like a good, level headed Metal/Earth(Yang Ming) horse temperament he simply held his breath and turned his head slightly as I touched the painful ear. On the other hand, a certain … Continue Reading »
Anhydrosis is a life threatening condition in which a horse is unable to sweat during hot, humid weather. The horse depends heavily on sweating to cool his body so any decrease in his ability to evaporate sweat will result in an elevated body temperature. Anhydrosis can present in a similar way in different horse temperaments … Continue Reading »
I have been criticized for my horse temperament typing system because I talk about horses having feelings similar to people. I am in one camp and the other believes that the only concern the horse has is to stay alive and be alright. The answer probably lives somewhere in the middle. I believe the more … Continue Reading »
Patience is not a Metal horse trait. Once the Metal horse temperament learns a job he expects others to get out of the way and let him work. When faced with beginner or amateur rider he can be downright bossy. The Metal horse learns by repetition and he does best in jobs that require consistent … Continue Reading »