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How To: Lead A Horse

8/21/2018

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   Leading a horse might sound like something very simple, but in fact there is a correct way that will keep you safer than other ways. Below three commonly seen ways of leading are demonstrated. And like goldie locks and the three bears there is a way that is just right! 

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How To: Wash Horse Blankets

3/9/2018

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   With spring finally approaching many of us are entering the dreaded mud season. Here in the PNW that season lasts for months on end and dealing with dirty blankets is a regular struggle. With so much rain in the forecast blankets can start losing their ability to keep up and need a refresher with a good wash and re-waterproofing. Below is a step by step guide on how to wash and waterproof your blankets.
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The Supplies

   Horse blankets require specialized detergent. If you send your blankets through the laundry with everyday detergent you run the risk of ruining any chance of it staying waterproof. And, honestly do you really think that soap is powerful enough to clean the ground in dirt your horse likes to accessorize with? Getting specially formulated blanket wash and waterproofing solution is key to taking the best care of your blankets!

WASHING

Step #1: Pre-Treat Stubborn Stains

   With a sponge or soft nylon brush use undiluted Rug Wash to help loosen up a stubborn stain before washing the whole blanket.
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Step #2: Clean The Washing Machine

   Making sure any excess detergent is removed from the dispenser ensures your blanket will not be ruined by traditional detergents.

Step #3: Load The Machine

   Even though you might want to hurry the washing process along, only wash one blanket at a time to allow the detergent to reach every part of the blanket. 
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Step #4: Fill With Detergent

   For top loading machines add 5 fl oz after the machine has filled with water. For front loading machines use 3.4 fl oz of detergent. ​For hard water areas add an additional 1.7 fl oz. Make sure to shake the rug wash detergent before pouring into the machine.

Step #5: Pick The Right Settings

   Set washing machine settings to a heavy soil level and wash with warm water. And for top loading machines set the water level to medium.
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Step #6: Rinse Thoroughly

   Make sure there is no remaining detergent left on your blanket. Lingering detergent can cause irritation to your horse's skin and will also hinder the waterproofing.

WATERPROOFING

Step #1: Clean Washing Machine

   Make sure any leftover detergent has been removed from the machine.
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Step #2: Load Clean Blanket

   Make sure the blanket is clean and properly rinsed. You don't want to seal in dirt and detergent into your blanket. 

Step #3: Fill With Waterproofing Liquid

   Shake water repellant before loading into the machine. Use 17 fl oz for one blanket. Only treat one blanket at a time!
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Step #4: Pick The Right Settings

    Set the machine to the cotton setting. This is also the regular or normal setting. 

Step #5: Drying

   Either allow your blanket to completely air dry or you can tumble dry on a low setting.
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Before & After

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Before washing my horse's medium turnout blanket it was very stained with mud and manure. And the seams had starting allowing water to seep through. 
After, the same blanket looks so much better! No more crusted manure or huge stains. I could have probably washed it a second time, but the inside is super  clean! Bring on the cold rainy weather!

This post was brought to you by the partnership between The Barn Rat and Nikwax Waterproofing. 
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How To: Remove A Halter Plate

5/26/2017

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   Unfortunately, soon after learning how to somewhat successfully attach a halter plate, I had to learn how to take them off. My leather halters broke beyond repair so while I wait to get new ones I wanted to make sure my nameplates stayed safe. The best piece of equipment I found is a pair of farrier nippers.
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   Push the rivet away from the leather on the back side so you can get the nippers around the rivet. Be sure to be careful to not catch the leather in the way (if you are worried about saving the leather). Then clamp the nippers shut and spin and wiggle till the end pops off. The rivet then will easily separate from the nameplate. Such a simple process! 

   Most barns have a pair of nippers for emergency shoe removal, but if not I'm sure you could borrow your farrier's the next time you see them!
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How To: Attach A Halter Plate

5/20/2017

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   I've always seen these beautiful leather halters with brass nameplates and just thought there was some magical factory that put these plates on halters. Well, recently I finally got nameplates for my horses and realized that there wasn't some factory that just put these on. Now, if you live in an area with a fancy tack store that can do this for you, great. I don't so it turned into a great DIY project. Below are the steps I took to attach my nameplates.

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Decide where you want the plate and measure it out.

Mark the locations of the holes on the leather.
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Punch holes in the halter at the marked spots.

Insert the copper rivet with the post sticking out the front.
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Place the halter plate over the posts then place cap over the first post.

Find a hard surface and a wide headed hammer and flatten the cap on the post. Repeat on other side.
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Voila!
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How To: Tie Up a Lead Rope

5/4/2017

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   Ever see lead ropes all wrapped up in fancy show barns making the halters look so neat and organized? Wrapping up your lead rope is not only a good way to keep your horse's stall front looking nice but it also an easy way to keep extra lead ropes from getting tangled.  Read below for the easy steps to tie up your lead rope.

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Start with your lead rope fully straightened out and free of knots.

Fold over a small section of the lead rope, less than 1/4. 
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Start wrapping the extra rope around the folded over section starting at the top. Make sure to hold the top tightly until you have wrapped it a couple of times. 

Go around, and around, and around.
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Wrap until you get to the bottom, leave a small loop.

Tuck the end through the loop at the bottom.
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All done! Looking good!
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How To: Hold a Crop Correctly

5/1/2017

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   Holding a crop is something many riders off all levels do. Sometimes horses need encouragement to go forward, a crop can be used to reinforce something you are telling your horse with your leg, or it can be used to discourage bad behavior. The crop can be held in either your inside or outside hand, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. When your crop is not in use it should be kept resting across your thigh. This keeps the crop from waving around on accident, prevents unwanted slaps on the shoulder, and keeps the rider from breaking their wrists. The crop with rest through the middle of the hand with the thumb on top securing the crop in place. 
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How To: Adjust Your Stirrups Properly

1/31/2017

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   There are many times when you get on a horse you realize your stirrups are either too long  or too short. As a new rider many times your trainer will adjust your stirrups for you in order to get your lesson under way. When riders begin to learn how to adjust your stirrups while mounted many will drop their reins and take their feet out of the stirrups. They do this to see what they are doing and fully concentrate on the task they are trying to accomplish.

   The danger in this is that you are sitting on a living, breathing, prey animal. Even the most trusted school horses can give something a little spook. Without holding on to the reins or keeping yourself balanced with your feet in the stirrups you place yourself at a greater risk of falling off if you horse is to do something unexpected.  Read on below how to properly and safely adjust your stirrups while aboard your horse.

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Start with both feet securely in the stirrups.
Put both reins in one hand to maintain control of your horse while you adjust your stirrups.
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Start by pulling the buckle down and away from the stirrup bar. This allows you to adjust the stirrups with ease.
Proceed to unbuckle the stirrup leather and either shorten or lengthen the leathers to your desired length.
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Once you've selected your new stirrup length and have re-buckled the leather, pull on the back part of the leather to bring the buckle back up to the top of the stirrup bar. 
Straighten out the excess stirrup leather that gets tucked into the keeper and you are all set.
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How To: Poultice a Leg

12/15/2016

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   Taking care of your horse's legs is crucial to their wellbeing and their ability to comfortably continue performing whatever job they have. After hard work outs there are a few things you can do to help keep heat and swelling at bay. If you are looking for more long lasting cooling support than cold hosing that is where poultice comes in! Poultice is a mix of natural clay and minerals that has a 24-hour cooling effect. If you are wanting to poultice your horse's legs here are the things you will need to do so: poultice, brown paper or I like to use shop towels because they are a lot easier to find in stores, rubber gloves to keep your hands clean, applying poultice with your bare hands is safe to my knowledge, it's just messy, and you will need pillow wraps and standing bandages that you use to dry wrap legs. Below are step by step instructions on how to apply poultice.
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Start by getting a decent sized glob of poultice. If I am poulticing my horse after a workout I will do at least two legs, so any excess from the first leg can just be used for leg #2.
Rub the poultice over the area of the leg you are trying to treat. The most common area is the horse's cannons, that area is where the critical tendons in a horse's leg are most vulnerable. You want to evenly apply the poultice about 1/4 of an inch thick.
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This is ideally what you want your horse's legs to look like. Even application of the poultice from just under the knee to the fetlock.
Now we will need those shop towels or brown paper. The shop towels tear off in small sections which is just about the perfect size!
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Yup, get that towel wet. Wring it out though so it is just damp. Wetting down the towel keeps the poultice moist and helps the cooling elements of the poultice to last longer.
Cover the poultice with the damp towel.
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Ta-dah! The towel sticks nicely to the poultice.
To keep your horse from rubbing their face all over the muddy poultice you can wrap over the shop towel with regular standing wraps.
​Visit that how to post here.
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The next morning, remove the standing wraps and you will find the poultice has fully dried and begun to crumble. That means the poultice has finished the majority of cooling your horse's legs.
Usually I just curry the dried poultice off my horse's legs. You can also wash the poultice off, but I find that creates more of a mess. And, I like to put as little water on my horse's legs as possible to keep away fungus.
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How To: Roll Your Stirrups

12/12/2016

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   On occasion it is necessary to shorten you stirrups even when you are already at the last hole available in your stirrup leathers. If you are in a pinch and don't have a hole punch readily available to you, rolling your stirrups can be a quick and easy solution to hold you over temporarily. Follow the picture step by step instructions below and feel free to ask any questions!

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Start by pulling your stirrup leather buckle down away from the saddle.
Unbuckle the stirrup leather.
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Fully separate both pieces from each other.
Take the end with the metal buckle and loop it through the stirrup.
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​This should create a twist around the top branch of the stirrup.
​Rebuckle the stirrup leather.
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I usually find that rolling stirrups is the equivilant of shortening your stirrups by two holes.
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How To: Use Standing Wraps

12/6/2016

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   To use standing wraps follows the same application rules that polo wraps do, there are just two pieces instead of one. Read about how to apply polo wraps here! However, polo wraps are used during riding and standing wraps are for leg protection when a horse is standing around. Either in their stall after a hard workout or injury, or during transport in a trailer. Standing wraps can also be used to keep medicine in place on a horse's leg. We will go over many of those options in posts to come so be sure to keep checking back!
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   First you will need pillow wraps, I am using a pair of no bow wraps, but I much prefer pillow wraps. I like the pillow wraps better because they are thicker and I feel like they can provide more support. But, used correctly they will both serve their purpose just fine. There are multiple sizes when buying the wraps. These measurements are based off of the length of your horse's cannon bone and fetlock. The length from just under the knee to the base of their ankle. Usually horse's have longer back legs than they do front, so you will need to own two different sizes.
   After wrapping your horse's legs with the wrap then you will need to secure it in place with a stable bandage. Again, be sure to wrap a standing wrap in the same direction and with equal tightness like you would with a polo wrap! I like to tuck the edge of the stable bandage under the end of the wrap. This helps keep it in place just a little better as you start wrapping the leg.
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   The final product should be a well secured wrap with no wrinkles or folds that is evenly wrapped all the way back up to the top of the wrap. Only leave a standing wrap on for a few hours. Overnight is acceptable, but be sure someone removes it the next morning! No matter how great you wrapped it, the wrap will usually settle down a little bit and if left that way for too long can cause injury to your horse's tendons. 
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