Horse care is quite an obligation. It requires taking care of your horse?s health emotionally, physically and mentally. You must be aware of all the available techniques to care for your horse and keep your horse in optimum health. Here are some important facts about proper horse care.

Overall Health

There are many specific factors to horse health. For example, healthy horses may drink up to 8 to 10 gallons of water per day. And there are health risks to the horse if it stands in its own manure for long periods. Also Horses groomed regularly have healthier coats and less disease. Always remember that your main source of health care advice for your horse should be your veterinarian who knows the specifics of your horse and its circumstances.

Hoof Maintenance

Horse hooves need to be picked clean on a regular basis and also need to be inspected for any damage. Keeping clean, dry hooves is the best preventative measure against hoof fungus or any other impairing conditions that can occur with an unattended horse. Daily, or at least weekly, cleaning and inspections should suffice in dry or normal weather conditions and more often in severe weather.

Horse Feed

Feed your horse 3 times a day, or allow them to graze openly on their own in a proper pasture. Improper feeding habits can cause colic or other illnesses which can severely maim or kill a horse. Keeping food off of the dirty ground as much as possible will help you avoid this problem. You need to watch what your horse consumes because they are not naturally aware of these dangers. If you are not careful, your horse could become very sick.

With more thorough knowledge, you can be a better caretaker for your horse. Of course there are many other issues to consider in horse care. It is important for you to be responsible and well-versed in all aspects of caring for your horse. Once we have domesticated them it is our duty to maintain their well-being in order to ensure that they live long and healthy lives as our pets and friends.

Contributor: Tom Wills is happy to share information about saddles for sale with everyone online who has any inquiries regarding a new saddle for sale.

Posted under Horses

When it comes to saddles, the first thing most people want to know is the difference between the English and Western saddles for sale. When looking at saddles for sale, the most obvious difference you will notice between the two will first of all be the horn that is present on the western saddle. The design will also be an obvious difference. The western saddle is a bit heavier than the English saddle.

Which is Better for Riding?

Western saddles are designed for rough and regular use, as well as optimum comfort. These saddles are made with durability and usability in mind while also taking into consideration amenity for both man and beast. Western saddles were once made strictly from rawhide to make sure that they would last in the ranching industry, but many saddles for sale nowadays are made from man-made materials and not simply leather.

If you look at all the available horse saddles for sale, you will find there is also a difference in Western saddles that are made for pleasure or work. The balance of the saddle and the horn may be different depending upon the purpose for which you are buying the saddle. Jumping saddles allow the rider closer contact with the horse. Providing a better seating for the rider during jumps, the English saddle is not as deep as the Western saddle.

But what are the real differences between english saddles and western saddles?

English saddles weigh less than western saddles. They also have steel stirrups. English saddles also come with flexible cinching to let the horse breathe more freely. English saddles do not have fenders. That is why it us necessary to wear tall riding boots to protect your legs.

The Western saddle has fenders to help keep your legs from being pinched. In addition the stirrups are wrapped in raw hide and are wider at the bottom where your foot goes. The Western saddle has a surrounding support called scurrying. This should not be turned up at any of the corners. Keep a watch for this when you are looking at saddles for sale, because it affects the support.

Show Riding Vs. Pleasure Riding

Many English saddles are more for show riding than for the hard riding which is done with the Western saddle. Although they can be used for regular riding, there is a choice that can be used for both. The general purpose saddle can be used for show riding and regular riding. Since you will find, when perusing any variety of saddles for sale, that they are not cheap, choosing one or the other is a big decision and will depend upon what you are planning to do.

Trail saddles and show saddles also have different constructions. Wooden trees covered in fiberglass or ralide are generally used for western saddles. These may also be crafted with rawhide. Synthetic lighter saddles are covered in leather or other skin. Show saddles also come with detailed embellishments including silver and other precious metal lacing.

English saddles have steel or man-made trees that are also wrapped in leather and stuffed with foam. Usually english saddles are less detailed and decorative than most western saddles for sale.

Finding and purchasing saddles for sale

Since saddles are so expensive, the temptation may be present to purchase an inexpensive saddle. However, if you expect the saddle you buy to last, do not sacrifice quality for price. The inexpensive saddles will not provide the support that is needed to distribute your weight on the horse's back. This can cause your horse to have behavioral problems. Think about it, if someone was riding on your back and the fit was not comfortable you would likely not be in a very good mood either.

Not only does the saddle have to fit correctly but the materials should be quality so they can last longer than a year or two. The stitching should remain intact and the fit on the horse should be another consideration. The saddle that does not fit well will make the horse's back sore and this can be another cause of crankiness your horse will feel.

Whatever type of saddle you plan on purchasing, make sure it is of the best quality. It will last for many years. Riding will be a pleasure. You will be happier and your horse will be too.

About the author: Jodie Daisy would love to share everything there is to learn about saddles for sale with everyone online who has any inquiries regarding a new saddle purchase.

Posted under Horses

Mantaining your horse's saddle is a top priority. Since saddles are usually made of leather, they require quite a bit of attention to make sure that they last and that you get you money's worth out of them.

A good cleaning every thirty days or so should e adequate. This will be enough to stop build up of dirt and rust on the components of your saddle. If you use your saddle more frequently you may also want to increase the frequency of your cleaning regiment to err on the safe side.

Many saddles can outlive your horses, except for horse saddles that are not cared for properly. Horse saddles need regular attention to stay in good usable condition. This includes cleaning as well as the application of some sort of leather sealant or oil.

A yard or ranch fence is a good place to perch your saddle when you are working on it. The saddle can be cleaned with a mild detergent and warm water. Do not use too much water on the leather itself or it will be destroyed. Scrub the leather lightly so as not to rip or tear the surface. This will maintain the integrity of the sealant.

You do want to take your saddle apart to clean those hard-to-reach places. Crud can collect in cracks and areas between saddle parts. You do not want your saddle to become a petri dish of funk that can make you sick, your horse sick or just plain reek a foul odor. Be diligent with the sanitation of your saddle and you will save yourself the grief of a nasty fungus ruining your riding time.

Before you begin working on the leather of your horse saddle, put the metal parts to soak in water. When you are done scrubbing the leather, you can finish cleaning these components. Remember never to soak the leather and don't forget about the metal parts left in the water when you are done cleaning the rest of the saddle.

The horse will cause moisture underneath the saddle, so you need to sanitize this area as well. And don't forget to take care of any detached leather parts like the straps and stirrups. Do not replace any parts when reassembling the saddle until the are completely dry to avoid rusting or fungus growth.

Clean parts are now ready for an application of some sort of protectant, both the leather and metal parts. When applying the oils to leather, do so evenly so that it doesn't leave strange smears and streaks and be sure to clean away any extra drips or pools of oil that accumulate.

Once you have oiled your saddle and thoroughly dried off all of the leather and metallic parts, it is time to reassemble your saddle, Hopefully, you have kept careful track of all the parts that you detached. Do not leave any parts out when putting it back together or the saddle may fall apart or fail during use.

Taking Care Of your horse saddle will prolong it's usefulness. You are working to keep up it's looks and it's functionality. Rust and rot can break down a saddle and have a negative effect on you or your horse's health. If you tend to your horse saddle on a regular basis, you should have no problems keeping it in great, usable riding condition.

Contributor, Tyler Wilmas, is a horse connoisseur and has a lot of great saddles for sale in his feed supply shop. For more info on horse tack and other horse issues, read more of his posts online.

Posted under Horses