Tag: summer

Your Horse & You – Care and Safety

Back from the road and it’s always good to be home!
With the wild days of “Wild Horse Tales” (www.HorseTales.org) and all the fabulous stunts the horses and their riders have done over the years – thought we should spend a minute talking about care and safety.
It goes without saying you should know your horse, that you should feed and groom them regularly, have them checked by a vet, and always inspect your tack before and after riding. Maintaining the heath and condition of your horse is important to both of you! Prevention of injury is the most important thing you can do, always. My Dad and I put together a little book about this years ago with his writing and my photos. Still have a few of them for sale if you want to take a look.

If however you do find your self in an emergency and you need to care for an injured horse here are a few tips from our friends at www.animalorthocare.com

4 Tips for Caring for an Injured Horse

Any horse owner who has had to handle an injured horse before will tell you that it can be a challenging ordeal, especially if you have no experience or guidance on the matter. Horses are huge, heavy animals that can do a lot of damage if they fall onto something or accidentally kick an object or person. You don’t want to put yourself in danger or run the risk of worsening the injury by improperly handling or treating the horse, so it’s imperative that you do your research and have the right help on hand to make sure you’re in the best position to provide top-notch care. With that said, here are four things every horse handler should do when they have an injured horse.

 

1. Seek Veterinarian Assistance and Advice

It’s always best to get a professional opinion on an injury, even if you think it might heal on its own. Try to find a vet that has extensive experience in dealing with horses. If the horse with a severely injured leg or its leg needs to be amputated, you may need to consult with a horse prosthetics specialist to restore the animal’s mobility in the long-term. Regardless of what needs to be done, you’ll feel much better knowing that you’re following the advice of a trained and knowledgeable horse vet instead of going it alone.

2. Be Gentle When Cleaning and Treating Wounds

The reaction you’ll get from a horse will vary greatly depending on the horse’s personality, the extent of the injury, and how well you know and handle the animal. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should try to apply no more than 7-15 pounds of pressure per square inch when cleaning wounds. That’s about the amount of pressure generated by a strong spray bottle. Thus, spraying the wound down and gently patting off the water is the best technique.

3. Approach the Injury Carefully and With Help

Handling an injured horse on your own is never a good idea, and it’s also important that you’re careful about how you approach the horse. If you startle the animal, it could further hurt itself with its reaction or it could respond aggressively and injure you or one of your assistants.

4. Allow for Adequate Rest

Last but definitely not least, giving the horse adequate time to rest and heal is essential. Although walking and other forms of physical therapy may eventually be necessary, in the beginning, sufficient rest should be the primary focus.

Keep Close Watch for Troublesome Symptoms

Finally, once you’ve done all of the above, it’s important to follow up with a vet as necessary. If the horse begins showing any signs of infection or other serious symptoms such as fever, fainting, strange behavior, or lethargy, try to have an emergency vet visit organized as soon as possible. Addressing problems as they arise will prevent the horse from having to deal with an injury that is aggravated or worsened due to postponed treatment.

 

 

Cowboy (Cowperson?) UP!!

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Had an little adventure recently. We went to Las Vegas and you know what can happen in Vegas! But it wasn’t THAT Las Vegas, and it wasn’t what you think.
We were in Las Vegas New Mexico, a small city that was once a thriving entrance to the west and the biggest stop on the Santa Fe Trail.
There were always plenty of real cowboys in New Mexico. Did you know the word Rodeo is Spanish and the first rodeos were in Mexico?
This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Cowboy Reunion in Las Vegas! It’s quite a legacy that shows a small part of this multicultural historical city. The first Cowboy reunion and rodeo was in 1915 and horses were THE big deal.
This is the same city where Teddy Roosevelt gathered up some of his “Rough Riders” and changed the course of the nation and liberated Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. This was before he started the Panama Canal and gave Hawaii statehood, now that’s Presidential!

Here’s a few classic photos that show it’s about the ride, not whether it’s a cowboy or cowgirl. Ruth Bibb was one of the family founders and longtime rodeo rider. She’s in the race and not the only cowgirl competing. They say there were four groups in Vegas; Spanish, Anglo, Native American and real “Outlaws”. This made for a fast and dangerous race!

Reunion Poster

Ruth Bibb @ LV Cowboy Reunion
Ruth Bibb @ LV Cowboy Reunion

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If you need a bit of luck for your race be sure to have a Bucephalus along for the ride!

BTW if you like movies.
Las Vegas, NM has been the town for a lot of films. From Tom Mix in 1915, to Easy Rider, Red Dawn, All the Pretty Horses, True Grit, No Country for Old Men and Longmire!

RIDER UP!!

Summertime and the livin’ is sweaty!

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Too hot to be busy but what choice do we have?? Someone has to get them fed and watered! Let’s head to the river …or better yet, the beach!
Did you see the video of the Arabian Nights sales last weekend?
The end of an era, kinda sad, but the horses are all going to great new homes!!!
Take a look and drop us a line on the forum when you get a second (or facebook, too)

Stop on by and visit sometime!!

 

Have you ever Dreamed about running away with the show?

kisscala AN

Here’s your chance to be part of a professional horse performance! Something completely unique and a once in a lifetime experience!

Performer For A Day Experience

at Arabian Nights

Think -“Dancing with the Stars” Meets Equestrian Entertainment

The Ultimate Equine Encounter in the Spotlight

This experience includes one-on-one instruction, performer “secrets,” and interaction with the show’s horses and artists, which holds a particularly magnetic appeal for children. “They spend the ‘day’ with us. They get lessons. We do hair, makeup, costumes.”  And, they get to be in the show. “We get kids who have never been on a horse before and others who compete in horse shows,” says Reynolds. Typically, around 8 years old, participants have ranged from 4 to adults.

            An immersion into life behind-the-scenes and on stage, participants can choose specialty riding (bareback!), trick riding, or a “combo” package with both. Advance measurements sent to Arabian Nights’ wardrobe department ensure that costume options will be ready and waiting, when the countdown to show time begins. But first, budding performers get accustomed to the production setting, starting with lunch in the arena with Reynolds during rehearsals, great for getting to know the artists. An in-depth barn tour and familiarization with Arabian Nights 50+ horses and stable procedures, pave the way for afternoon lessons in the arena.

“We’ve got 14 breeds of horses in the show–amazing stallions, great mares, and national champions,” reflects Miller, who’s devoted his life to sharing horses with millions of visitors, since founding Arabian Nights www.arabian-nights.com in 1988. “People want to know what it’s like to work with these horses.”

To schedule the Performer for a Day experience, contact Jason Temple, Arabian Nights account executive for pricing, information, and reservation details at (407) 589-2411 or Jason@arabian-nights.com