Heritage Farm Michiana

07/10/2024

Interesting...

Horses seem like big, powerful animals on the outside. But on the inside, they actually have very strong feelings and emotions, just like people do. You migh...

06/19/2024

It's going to be another hot one again this week: A good rule of thumb when assessing how the heat will affect your workout is to measure the Heat Stress Index (HSI). If the sum of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit plus the percent of humidity totals less than 120, all systems are "go.” If the sum is greater than 150, particularly if humidity contributes to more than half of this number, your horse’s natural cooling mechanisms will be compromised. You should consider lowering the intensity of your workout, shortening the length of time, or riding later in the day. If the HSI is greater than 180, a horse cannot regulate his core body temperature naturally, so he should not be forced to work. For instance, if it is 100 degrees with 80 percent humidity, leave your horse in a shaded paddock with plenty of cool, clean drinking water and go have a cold drink yourself.

05/14/2024

Knowing how to check this important vital sign allows you to closely monitor your horse's health. It's easiest to take a horse's pulse on his facial artery, which runs underneath his jaw. You'll find this cordlike structure about an inch behind the junction of the rounded cheek and the straight jawb...

04/09/2024

03/20/2024

Just as lung sounds can reveal a lot about our own health, the noises your horse makes when he breathes can tell you about his health. Here's how to listen to your horse's lungs and interpret what you hear. >>>https://bit.ly/EQListenToLungs

03/18/2024

An interesting article...

03/14/2024

My green warmblood True and I have started riding around a 275-acre ranch after our work in the arena is finished. It’s a nice way for him to cool out and do some trail-riding kindergarten at the same time. On our first try, we sauntered around a 20- to 30-acre field where an arena is …

02/28/2024

A horse who coughs only during ride warm ups is probably fine, but be concerned if it lingers or worsens. Check out this article to learn what causes a "warm-up cough." >>>https://bit.ly/EQWarmUpCough

01/31/2024

11/29/2023

💋 Pucker up. Giving your horse a quick kiss on the muzzle can reveal important information about his health. >>bit.ly/EQKissYourHorse

11/15/2023

Helpful information about blanketing your horse.

If you’ve come to the conclusion that your horse really does need a blanket, you’ll want to avoid the following common blanketing mistakes to make sure he’s protected, safe, and clean!

11/10/2023

11/03/2023

It's that time of year...

09/30/2023

08/30/2023

Read what 2 veterinarians passionate about hoof care suggest for identifying and dealing with hoof stressors they encounter most frequently.