Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner. With the nicer, warmer weather come various insects such as horse flies, mosquitos, gnats (or no-see-ums), house flies, and many, many more. It seems as though the insects are attracted to farms, horses and livestock, creating a nuisance to all living creatures.
There are ways that the insects can be controlled. Many chemicals can be found for insect control, but with animals around, it is best to stay away from these. Plus, it is better for the environment if the chemicals are not used.
My son and his family came over on Easter Sunday to spend the day with us. My oldest granddaughter, being horse crazy, wanted to go to the farm to see the horses. Well, we packed up the whole family and up to the farm we went. My youngest granddaughter had been up to the farm before, but she was tiny at the time. So you could say this was her real "first" time up to the horses. She absolutely loved them! While dad was holding her up she was full of smiles and … (3 comments)
Many have lately heard about parasites becoming more and more resistant to dewormers. It is at the point where very few dewormers are effective anymore.
Penn State Extension will be hosting a short course at three different Eastern Pennsylvania locations teaching about managing parasite resistance on your farm. All courses will be held from 9:00AM -3:30PM at the dates and locations as follows:
March 8, 2016 Best Western Conference Center 300 Gateway Drive in … (2 comments)
Here is the latest style in horse tails in Eastern Pennsylvania - at least on the farm Pippa is at. Pippa had a nice long flowing tail down to her ankles. This is what Pippa's tail looks like now: a few strands of long hairs and the rest trimmed short. (The tails of the other horses on the farm look pretty much the same.) No, I did not trim it this way and it is not the current horsey fashion. The goats are actually the hair stylists. At least one in particular. He loves to … (6 comments)
While out in the paddock doing chores, I caught the horses - King, Noah, Banner & Pippa - huddled together. It seems to me that they are planning something. I wonder what that may be. . . . . maybe some mischief?? Hard to tell. Unable to read their body language to know for sure.
I'm at the barn almost daily to do my chores. From time to time, if Pippa is not out grazing or enjoying her meal, she will pop over to where I am and say "Hello". She is either looking for my companionship, a good scratch, grooming, and/or a treat. She looks forward to all of these. There are even times that she wants me to take her out for a workout. She is such a sweet horse and good friend to be around.
… (9 comments)
horse: Spring Is Here! Take It Slow With the Horses On The Pastures
- 05/06/15 12:56 AM
Spring Is Here! Take It Slow With the Horses on the Pastures After a long, freezing and hard winter, Eastern Pennsylvania is happily seeing spring with flowers blooming, trees budding and finally the pastures growing. What a wonderful time of year!
The horses are loving springtime, too. They are shedding their winter coats, ready to get to work and quite anxious to get out and eat that grass. Letting horses graze in the pasture means throwing less hay to them.
But wait!! Don't rush into it. Letting horses have free range of spring pasture too soon can be bad for their health, or worse.
A perfect horse is not a horse that is the prettiest or the fastest. Nor is it unblemished, nor does it have the ideal conformation.
The perfect horse teaches us to overcome challenges and to be forgiving. It teaches us that life is not easy, that our fears must be overcome. We need to learn to feel, to play, and be patient. The horse teaches us that there is always more to learn, and we must continue to try even though conditions are not ideal. When it bucks us off, … (6 comments)
Many equestrians that ride, train, compete and own horses have different feelings when we are with our four legged friends. There are times we feel serenity and peace (especially when trail riding). We feel love and friendship, frustration or happiness, excitement, nervousness, fear, anxiety, and so much more. The horses in turn will reflect our feelings. Sometimes they are able to sense it before we do. If you ever watch a horse show, the horse acts very nervous before entering the ring. This is because the rider is feeling this and the horse … (10 comments)
Here it is, mid February and another Valentine's Day to celebrate. With the cold in the air, love is needed to warm things up. This Valentine's Day, express your love towards your spouse, family, friends and the furry 4 legged friends.
Horses are outdoors most of the time, so give them some extra loving to keep them warm. I am sure they will appreciate an extra treat and a hug to … (15 comments)
There are so many reasons why horses are important on this earth. They are here to help us in many different ways. The horses help us in work and play, assist with the handicapped, teach us many lessons, accept us for who we are with out imperfections.
They give us pleasure, carry us to our destinations and take us to a more serene world, At times, the horses feel our pain and our pleasure, The horse is so much to us. … (18 comments)
In Central Southeastern Pennsylvania, horses pulling buggies along the road is a common sight to see. No, these are not horses used to give rides to the public. These horses are working horses and belong to the Amish.
The Amish live a simple way of life. Their horses are not used for pleasure, but for work and transportation. You might say that they use real horsepower in their daily lives. Not only do the horses pull the buggies to transport the Amish families from place to place, but also to farm the land. Nothing that runs on fuel or electricity is used. All … (4 comments)
September is here, bringing with it cooler, nicer riding weather minus the bugs and insects. Great time to ride your horse! It is also time to begin thinking about getting your horses and horse property ready for winter. Even though we are barely entering autumn, winter will be here before you know it, at which time it is too late to get ready for the cold weather, ice and snow.
Start preparations now, so when "Old Man Winter" comes knocking on your door, it won't catch you by … (6 comments)
My husband and I went camping for a few days. Being an early riser, I took an early morning walk while my husband slept in. Close to the campground was a pasture with horses grazing on this beautiful early summer morning. If there are horses close by, I will certainly find them. This one horse decided to come up to me at the fence and say hello. I'm sure he was hoping I had some treats in my pocket.
Ever wonder how the horse sees it's owner and what it's thoughts are?
Many horse owners treat their horses as part of the family, building a close bond and relationship, caring for each other and trusting each other. A horse will do almost anything for their owner once a trusting bond a relationship are formed, as will the owner for their horse.
A woman's horse had escaped from it's paddock twice in one day. On it's second escape, it was hit by a vehicle.
The Pennsylvania State Superior Court sentenced the woman to a year of probation. She had been warned previously about her horse wandering around freely. This proved to the court that she ignored the danger it posed to motorists.
As the story goes, the woman's horse was found wandering on a road around 3 a.m. by a police officer. After knocking on several doors, … (14 comments)
There is so much more to setting up pastures than taking a grassy area and fencing it in.
Pastures are to be large enough for the horses that they do not end up being overgrazed. The pastures are to be subdivided so the pastures have a rest period. Also, paddocks are to be set up as sacrifice areas. These sacrifice areas are used when the pastures are wet.
Even though pastures are available to horses, hay should still be supplemented.
After a long winter this year, the snow (for the most part) has melted or is still melting. We have all been looking forward to this season, including the horses. The horses are anxious to dive in to the fresh, lush, green grass that is coming in. We, as horse owners, are more than happy to oblige to save on our low hay supplies.
But, wait! Be careful not to just let them go crazy grazing endlessly.
Some of us have a passion for horses, which will show in our relationships with them. If we give them our heart and trust them, they in turn are willing to do almost anything for us. Horses are willing animals to begin with. Building a special bond between rider and horse will lead to a more successful and lasting relationship.
As with any living being, it is important to know the basic anatomy. Here is the anatomy of the horse explained in simple terms so that everyone, including non-horsey people, will understand each part. I'm sure this will be of great help to everyone.
Rural & Horse Properties & Farms in Lehigh Valley, Poconos and Eastern Pennsylvania.
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