Equine Guelph researchers are continuing to put Canada on the map in the world of horse welfare research – this time focusing on the use of training equipment in horses. The researchers, led by Dr. Katrina Merkies, were interested in how often riders and trainers use training equipment, such as whips, spurs, and head-control equipment (martingales, draw reins, etc.), and how often horse enthusiasts not actively involved with horses think that the equipment is used.

For retired horses standing in the field all day, grass may supply all the nutrients needed for energy and tissue maintenance. If a horse does much more than this, however, it might need feed supplements to make up dietary deficiencies related to training, performance, or reproductive state.

2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner - Since 1953, when he first volunteered as a board member for a local Nova Scotia exhibition association, Bill desBarres has devoted himself to promoting equine welfare in Canada. He has served on committees, chaired associations, and volunteered countless hours, all in service of the horse. When once asked why he worked so tirelessly as an equine advocate, Bill responded, “My horses raised good kids, and now it is time to give back.”

Scientists learned in recent years why zebras have black and white stripes — to avoid biting flies. But a study published on February 20, 2019 in the journal PLOS ONE probes the question further: What is it about stripes that actually disrupts a biting fly’s ability to land on a zebra and suck its blood? Professor Tim Caro of the University of California, Davis, and University of Bristol’s Martin How led a series of new experiments to better understand how stripes manipulate the behaviour of biting flies as they attempt to come in to land on zebras.

In the previous article, we shared the first half of an interview with para-equestrians Lauren Barwick, Karen Brain, and Judi Island. In this, the second part, they share more about what they do to stay fit to ride and compete, advice for developing riders, athletes, and parents, and how to “be all you can be.”

Recently, genetic research published in the journal Science showed that the Przewalski’s horse, also known as the Mongolian wild horse and the Takhi, was actually not wild as defined by its heritage but descendants of the horses first domesticated by Botai people of Kazakhstan over 5,500 years ago.

Feeding programs for horses should be based on quality forage. However, when Mother Nature does not cooperate, forage supplies can be limited causing horse owners great concern. Weather conditions such as drought can reduce the hay available and with reduced supplies the price of hay goes up. There are a number of strategies horse owners can consider using to control the feed bill while still meeting the horse’s nutrient requirements.

Born in 1940, Stan Carruthers of Carp, Ontario, was predestined to work with Clydesdales. “My grandfather was a stallioneer in Carp, and he used to have Percherons,” explains Stan. “In 1922, he sold his Percheron and bought a Clydesdale stallion. That’s how the love affair began.”

Helping a Worried Horse - I do a wide variety of exercises with my horses to help them become calmer and braver in various situations. My goal is to have them trust what I ask of them, and be okay with it because I am asking. In other words, for me it’s not about the tarp but about Geo’s trust in me to put the tarp on his body. If he trusts me at the heart of it, then tarps, garbage cans, or stumps on a trail won’t bother him.