Health & Education
We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.
For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.
Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.
Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.
Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!
Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.
Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!
by Kristen Kovatch
Knowing all the technical details of riding is certainly a critical component towards being successful — but equally important is mindfulness. Equestrian life coach Julie Saillant has the details.
One of the biggest challenges many equestrians face has nothing to do with the mechanics of riding, their horse, or the competition they face in the ring. The battle starts in the mind.
Did you know that you are sending out either positive or negative energy towards your equine best friend every time you meet up? And that your horse picks up on that energy as clearly as you see a stop sign on the road?
In a ground-breaking study, scientists found that “horses can not only read human facial expressions, but they can also remember a person’s previous emotional state when they meet them later that day – and, crucially, that they adapt their behavior accordingly.” See the study here.
Essentially, horses have a memory for emotion. They will remember your face when you are happy or angry and the horses in the study showed increased heart rate to more aggressive facial expressions.
Read more: Incorporating Mindfulness: Game Changer for Horse & Rider
"The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study" by S. Dyson, A. D. Ellis, R. Mackechnie‐Guire, J. Douglas, A. Bondi and P. Harris
The effect of rider weight on equine welfare and performance requires further investigation. The objective of this prospective, cross‐over, randomised trial was to assess gait and behavioural responses of horses to riders of similar ability, but different bodyweights.
Six nonlame horses in regular work were ridden by each of four riders: Light (L), Moderate (M), Heavy (H) and Very Heavy (VH). Saddle fit was assessed subjectively throughout the study.
Each horse was ridden twice by riders L and M, and once by rider H. Rider VH rode five horses once and one twice. Each horse‐rider combination undertook a standardised, 30‐min ‘dressage‐test' which was abandoned if we observed lameness grade ≥ 3/8 in one limb, grade ≥ 2/8 in ≥ 2 limbs, or ≥ 10/24 behavioural markers of pain.
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