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TIPS & HINTS

Received 19th April 2010:

Do you keep dropping your straight show cane when in a class?

I found by winding two or three plaiting bands together (preferably the same colour as the cane) around the top of the cane about an inch or two from the end, this will 'stick' the cane to the palm of your hand.

From

JN.

"I have heard of a few cases of horses & ponies going down with colic.  Vets have suggested  that they were not getting enough liquids (this was during the hard frosts rather than the snow).   I was not aware of this at all,  the pony in the adjoining stable to mine had colic the other night, and on reflection they brought her straight in from the field where the water was frozen and the feed was ready in the box.  They noticed her pawing the ground and just thought she was worrying for her feed, luckily somebody walked around the yard later in the evening and found her down.  -   Just thought we ought to be vigilant.   I use really big water tubs, which I pack around with straw,  and stand on the bed.  This has stopped mine from freezing.   

From LP: when washing a horse's feathers, train them to stand in a bucket of water, to make the job easier!

From ZH: i use lots of baby products on my horse as they are cheap and work really well on my horse. baby shampoo i find is better than horse shampoo as its kind to the skin and makes his coat shiney, baby lotion used on his hocks down to his fetlocks and that makes them easier to clean and baby oil in his tail and it makes his tail easier to brush plus all the products make his shiney :)

TIP 2: (Also from JN)
If you have a white horse with a fresh green poo stain. squirt on neat horse shampoo, work in well then scrape it off, then wash and rinse off with water. It works for me

TIP 1: (From JN)
When bathing my horse, instead of squirting the shampoo straight from it's bottle and possibly using too much, I decant a some into another bottle with a squirty nozzle and mix it with warm water, usually three to one mixture. It's much easier to use and doesn't waste so much on one area

TIP 10: (From RT)
I have had problems with mildew growing on my spare leather bridle (even though it was kept indoors). Most of the treatments I've tried allowed the mildew to grow back again. But the latest thing I tried was the Carr Day & Martin Stage 1 tack cleaner (I think this is quite a new product). It mentions mildew on the label, but isn't strictly marketed as an anti fungal treatment, but just as a cleaner. Well... I used this on the bridle with the problem about 3 months ago, and have had no problems ever since. (The bridle is one I don't use, and it's been hanging up in the same place without any other treatment since the Stage 1 stuff, and the mildew has stayed away). Good stuff!

TIP 9: (From KB)
Another show preparation tip: to keep the tail clean, cut the leg off a pair of tights - cut off the toe part. Pull the nylon tube up over the tail, and secure with a tail bandage.

TIP 8: (From KB)
When preparing for a show, if your horse's tail is a bit thin or wispy, you can make it look fuller: wash it the day before, and while it's still damp, plait the tail in several small sections down the whole length of the tail. Leave in overnight, and when you take the plaits out in the morning, the tail will be wavy and look fuller!

TIP 7: (From JP)
Never tie up your horse by clipping the lead rope on to the horse's bit when he's got his bridle on - if he panics and pulls back, he could do himself serious damage (and break the bridle as well)

TIP 6: (From JP)
Keep your riding hat in a proper padded hat bag - after all, your hat cost a lot of money, so you should look after it. Most of the bags have handy pockets in - I keep my gloves and hairnet in mine, so I don't lose them.

TIP 5: (From PT)
Wash your horse's numnah/saddlecloth and girth frequently to avoid soreness caused by a build up of grease. Use a kind detergent to avoid any skin reaction.

TIP 4: (From SR)
Does your horse wear a hunting breastplate? Put 3 trigger clips on the straps (2 that go to the D ring on the saddle, and 1 on the running martingale attachment if you use it). Then you can clip the breastplate on to the saddle quickly and easily, and anyone else tacking up doesn't have to worry what hole to do it up on. Also, when using a running martingale attachment, you can take the saddle on and off independently of the bridle.

TIP 3: (From JP)
When you're undoing the leg straps on a turnout rug, take them from around the horse's legs and clip them back up to the d ring before taking the rug off - this will avoid the leg straps trailing on the floor, which is a trip hazard, and will also avoid you hitting your horse with the clip when you throw the rug back over him/her in the morning.

TIP 2: (From LS)
Got a fat stabled pony ? Suspend a small hole haynet from a chain or rope slung over a beam rather than on a wall tie. It will then take longer to eat the contents and keep it occupied for longer too.