Brandenburg Equine Therapy Tip of the Month

Today I would like to talk about tack. It’s equally important to have the right and clean tack. So often I see people that have been out riding in the mud go to a show and never clean the mud of their tack. Their cinch and saddle pads are hard and covered in sweat and horse hair. This will just rub and irritate the horse and make him sore.

Every one loves BLING! The other day I saw a horse with big BLING conchos on the breast collar. So big that the conchos were digging in to the horse’s chest. The horse had a lot of scar tissue from were it was pushing in to the muscle. For this reason, he was having trouble extending his shoulders forward. I think its great to have the horse look nice, but there can be too much. Remember! This is a speed event and you don’t see the racehorse’s carrying any bling.

I have a BIG problem with neoprene. I see this as one of the worst problems out there. So many people use the neoprene cinch and saddle pad. Why? Think of it this way. We put the neoprene boots on the horse just BEFORE they run. Then we take them off straight after the run. WHY? Because they hold heat in and can damage the muscle’s and tendon’s. So why do we think its ok to have a pad or cinch on the horse for a hour or more with no ill effect.

Saddle fit is our next problem. Have you ever seen a horse walking around and the back of the saddle is sitting way up off the horse’s back? If it’s sitting up from the back its digging in the front. No amount of padding can or will fix that.

Something else to look at. Stand your saddle on its horn. Stand behind the cantle of the saddle. And see if the underside is even. By that I mean, one side of the saddle should be the same as the other. If its not that means the saddle is uneven and would be sitting uneven on your horse. This could be causing or lead to some back issues. 

Stay tuned next month for more from Brandenburg Equine Therapy! To learn more about Troy please visit their website:  www.brandenburgequinetherapy.com

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Brandenburg Equine Therapy Tip of the Month…

With all this cold weather that we are having it is most important to make sure that your horse is drinking plenty of water and to COOL him DOWN AFTER you work him. It is not uncommon for the water buckets to ice over and not allowing the horse to drink. He will not drink much if the water is too cold as well. He needs just as much fluids now as he would in the heat and it is very easy for them to get dehydrated. I think its still important to give electrolytes now. Also remember when you work your horse and he is still warm don’t just unsaddle him and put him away. If you unsaddle him and don’t cool him down well he is prone to getting sick as well as tying up. Think of it this way, how would you be after riding and all you did was get off, put a coat on and stand in the barn? Soon you would not be doing so well. Your muscles would start to hurt and it would be hard for you to catch your breath. The cold would get in to your body and you would get sick. You would end up with a lot of lactic acid in the muscle’s very quickly. Once you feel the horses body heat go down and his breathing is steady you can put him away. It could be the difference in your horse staying healthy and running well or getting sick and ending up at your vet.

 

Stay tuned for Troy’s March tip!!

 

For more information about Troy and Brandenburg Equine Therapy click here.

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Brandenburg Equine Therapy Tip of the Month

This time of year a lot of people start getting their horses ready for the 2011 season.  Many of those horses have been turned out for the winter, what tip can you give to help these horses stay healthy and injury free? 
 
I cannot stress enough how important it is for riders to get their horses in shape before they go to a barrel race.    Like any athlete if you try to perform without first getting in shape, you cannot perform at your best and  you greatly increase the odds of sustaining an injury.    Ten days of riding is not enough.    Your horse may run great the first time out,  but he will not have the physical stamina to do many runs and will quickly fall apart.    If your horse is not in shape, stay home!   Remember there will be another barrel race next weekend.     One race is not worth the chance of being out for most of the season.

Stay tuned fo monthly tips from Troy Brandenbug!!

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Equine Dentistry Tip of the Month….

 

Megan Knight of Knight Performance Equine Dentistry says:

January is a great time to be thinking about your dentistry work because the show season is fast approaching and you want to make sure your ahead of the game! Having your horse prepped for success is the surefire way to having a great season. Preparation is the key to giving your horse the winning edge. So call your dentist and get ready for the best season you could have!

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