Horse Care Advice

Ragwort is a common weed seen in Britain, typically found growing on grazing land, grassland and wasteland. It's a resilient plant that thrives where the ground is bare or vegetation is thin, for example on over-grazed paddocks. It can be identified by its large, flat-topped clusters of yellow flowers (seen from July through to October), its ... Read more...

Sweet itch is a debilitating, extremely irritating and often painful skin condition that is unfortunately very common, especially in native pony types, affecting around 5% of the overall horse population in the UK. It's caused by an allergic reaction to midge bites which then causes localised irritation to the skin, and is normally most ... Read more...

Choosing a fly spray or insect repellent which works for you and your horse can prove a challenge and is often a case of trial and error, with different results year-on-year and on different horses. It's frustrating and can be expensive, so it's worth putting in the research to see what might work best for your horse. Fly and insect repellents for ... Read more...

For every mare, for every season   Is your mare showing some challenging behaviour?Owning a mare can be so difficult but so rewarding. For a lot of mares, careful management is important in their day-to-day lives, particularly if she is expected to perform. It's important to remember that mares are "entire" animals, so having consideration ... Read more...

In partnership with NAFNot the most pleasant of subjects, but a necessary one. Your horse’s digestive tract is very closely linked to its general overall health. Their droppings are a direct reflection of how that digestive tract is doing, so knowing what to look for can help you to keep an eye on what’s happening on the inside. To keep it ... Read more...

What is condition scoring?Fat scoring or condition scoring is a trusted way to assess your horse’s overall fat covering to determine whether or not your horse is a healthy weight. It works by scoring three key areas individually – neck, body and hindquarters – on a scale of 0 - 5. A healthy horse will have a fat covering score of 2.5 – 3 ... Read more...

With so many options of horse rugs on the market it’s easy to get overwhelmed with what you really need in your horse’s wardrobe. Newer rugs with more technical features offer crossover functions too, adding to the confusion! If you’re in a pickle about which rugs you need, here are the basics we would recommend which are useful for all ... Read more...

You’re leading your horse in from the field in the dark, ready to put him to bed for the night, and hit concrete only to hear three metal-on-ground hoof beats, not four. Queue a big sigh - your horse has lost a shoe, AGAIN. You put your horse to bed and off you go, back to dig through the mud to find it. Losing shoes is such a pain, especially ... Read more...

Between December and February we need to be thinking about how to approach our parasite control. At this time of year, encysted redworm, tapeworm and bots are ones to be particularly aware of. Encysted Redworm During the winter, small redworm goes through a dangerous parasitic stage in their lifecycle which it’s important to be aware of as they... Read more...

Having first aid kits on the yard for both horses and humans is really important - emergencies happen so quickly and being well prepared could help prevent hospital or veterinary intervention. It’s important to not only make sure you have the right equipment ready, but also to know how and when to use it.  We would recommend keeping your ... Read more...