Black Storm Horse Rugs, Blankets, Sheets, Tack, Horse Clothing and Equestrian Saddlery Products

Archive for July, 2008

Horse Clothing

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Equestrians provide their horses with Saddle Pads, Head Collars, Bridles, Horse Boots, Horse Rugs, Blankets, Indoor / Outdoor Rugs, Anti-Sweat Sheets, Reins, Breast Girths, Bandages, Martingles and Equestrian Products and best of all pet products & accessories. But why do horses need such wide range of Equestrian Products? This is because the equestrian sports have always treasured horses as an important asset of theirs.

Horses take pretty long time to get disciplined and trained. One needs a lot of patience to ride a horse in a controlled way. Even Olympics have included Equestrian sports as an event. This elevated interest in equestrian sports has made horses as the most wanted pet. So, if one really wants his horse to win in horse racing competition, then he must take very good care of his horse. The horse care includes using different Equestrian Products that ensure good health of the horse. There are many products available in the market that help the horse maintain a steady health. Let’s have a look at some of the most important horse products that are a sure must have for all horses. Here, we would concentrate on the importance of protective clothing like Horse Rugs, Anti-Sweat Sheets and Blankets for the horses.

Now the first question that comes to the mind is: as to why do horses need covering with Horse Rugs, Blankets, Indoor / Outdoor Rugs, Anti-Sweat Sheets? Horse Rugs are the most important product to be used for the horses. These rugs or blankets protect the horse from nature’s element. As we humans need clothes to protect us from the rain, cold, wind and sun’s heat, similarly horses require protection from natural elements. Horses that aren’t provided with horse blankets are most likely to get ill during seasonal changes. Similarly, anti-sweat sheets protect the horse from getting chills that are most likely after they cool down after exercise. These rugs are designed in such a way that horses feel comfortable. Anti-sweat rugs are breathable and are also provided with mesh that keeps away the flies. You can also get some anti-sweat rugs that protect horse from flies during summer. These sheets are also given additional neck covers, bonnets and fly masks.

Blankets are placed on horses to protect them from friction of stable rugs. These blankets can be placed under the stable rugs. Traditional blankets were made of wool, but now-a-days blankets in different material are available. Modern horse-blankets are made of lightweight materials. Indoor Rugs are made to be used inside the stable and farm. These indoor rugs protect the horses in winters. Indoor rugs come in all possible colors, thickness and weights. Different thickness and weight determine the level of warmth offered. These rugs are most useful to the horses that are stabled day and night.  Outdoor Rugs keep the horses protected while on the farm and out on the field. These rugs provide warmth during the winter. Outdoor rugs should be long enough to be able to cover the horse’s belly. All these indoor rugs, horse blankets, horse rugs, outdoor rugs, and anti-sweat sheets are essential for the horse during all seasons. These products not only ensure a good health for horses but also make them efficient enough to be potential race winners.

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My Horse - My Hero

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

“Shahrukh! Shahrukh! Help…please…” My arm throbbed, ached, crushed in pain. I knew it was broken, obviously, because it literally looked like the letter Z. I screamed…screamed… screamed bloody murder, so much so that I got all 37 of the horses on the ranch stampeding around the 72 acre property.

Peacocks sauntered away from the horrid sound of my screams… birds flew from trees, cawing. It was sprinkling lightly, and I was soaked from riding bareback in the rain for hours, and I had just fallen off the horse I was riding. My friend had run off to get my boss, but we were pretty far from the house, so I knew I’d be alone for a while.

The ranch horses had grown curious and were coming closer to see what all the commotion was about, when I saw my favorite horse, Ramu. She stood with the herd, her pig eyes wide, her dappled muzzle high in the air as if to say “Now…I’ve never seen THAT!” I stopped screaming, but continued sobbing in pain. I heard a horse walking; it seemed to get closer too. A muzzle touched my back, and I wheeled around in fright.

Ramu stood there, calm as can be, looking at me like, “Are you okay?” I started petting her face, then she took a few steps and stood beside me, I knew what she was doing. She was going to help me get up… I grabbed her leg, pulled up, hugging her leg to get up. She took a step, and to keep from falling I walked with her. She led me by a tree, and I went to it and sat down.

He stood there, protecting me, like a foal. Nuzzling me now and then, trotting off a distance to the herd, then coming back and standing over me. When my friend and my boss got to me, they had to keep shooing Ramu away from me, and she actually tried to fight to get to me. I love that horse so much. She sheltered me from pouring rain, protected me, and even kept me from passing out in a way. I know she’s got my back… and I’ve got hers too.

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I have a horse that is obese. But I did not offer him the cheese!

Friday, July 25th, 2008

If you think that humans can only be overweight, you are highly mistaken. Nowadays animals are falling in the same category.  And your own lovely, beautiful, gentle and whatever you call him …….. horse could also be obese. Yes, it’s true!

In fact I was the one who never believed in this earlier. One of my close friends once made a remark on gazing at my Falabella that I must go for its weight check. Since it had been only few days when I domesticated my favorite, I could not do anything other than giving a thunderous laugh.  Interestingly, that friend of mine was obese himself, that empowered my laughter further. I would see him and burst into laughter again and again. I thought that how could a horse be obese. My logic was that nature has bestowed upon him the quality of running hard, galloping miles, and covering distances. Then how could it be obese? After listening to me he said “Is your horse, your cute Falabella, is living the way it should be”?

Now that was the moment where I stopped and pondered over. In fact I had to since the remark was sarcastically deep and meant for making me realize something other than what I believed.

It’s true that with the domestication of animals, we are the ones who have put lot of restrictions on the freedom of animals. We are the ones who have made them live like us, in accordance with our schedules and following our daily time table. And it is a well known fact that we humans are gaining weight with the advancement in technology.

So, you must know the ill effects of extra calorie intake which makes your horse obese. Weight gain may lead to endocrine problems that include insulin resistance. Isn’t it just like the humans? Researchers believe that horses too have similar risks as do we, such as heart disease and diabetes. Other side effects include, laminitis, a painful condition that often affects the front hooves of your horse. It needs careful monitoring, as veterinarians have yet to find an effective treatment for this condition.

Here is something extremely interesting to note which will give you an idea of horse gaining extra weight. Like many species, the genetics of horses, permits the extra storing of fat before the coming of winter, when there is typically less food available. In nature, your horse would eat less especially in the winter and start loosing its weight by spring. Now just see the difference, that a domesticated horse on the other hand is fed generously year round and never lose the extra weight.

Don’t worry, that does not mean that you have to curb your horse’s taste buds. Instead, take it out for exercising. The whole point is that your horse should consume the energy which has been taken from various sources of food. Make a point that you have to push your horse for a more rigorous exercising schedule than only going for a ride twice a week for 15-20 minutes.  You must take the help of an expert to prevent obesity of your horse.  I called an expert and you will be happy to note that today my Falabella is perfect on weight, perfect on galloping and perfect on just everything :-) 

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Horse myths broken down!

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Horse myths broken down!

Having a horse to look after can be a little burdensome unless you just love the horse. Some of the basic necessities that your horse require are Outdoor Rugs, Indoor Rugs, Summer Anti Sweat Sheets, Saddle Pads Headcollars, Bridles, and accessories like Bandages, Girths, Breast Girths & Martingles, Synthetic Harness, and Reflective Wraps. Recently I came upon a quote by Pam Brown, an author of many books on poetry and prose. The quote says,

A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.

Isn’t it true? Once in our lives, we all had wished to be like a horse- strong, powerful, and beautiful. There is no doubt that Horses have always captured our imaginations and have always been the symbol of strength and freedom.

For proper horse care, the care-taker must know the basic psychology of horses. Certain things we believe about horses just aren’t true. There are some myths about horses that make all the charm get diminished. Let’s try to break 5 big myths about horses!

Myth-1: Horses are mean animals.
Fact: No, they aren’t meaner than Humans!
Many horses were not looked after properly or were constantly subjected to mistreatment. These horses became indifferent to humans and behaved badly sometimes. If treated with love and affection, horses become gentle, friendly, and do what you train them for.

Myth-2: Riding a horse is like driving a car
Fact: Ask a professional horse rider and he will tell you about the efforts required in horse riding. It is not as easy as it might seem to be. A person riding a horse can feel his muscles getting stretched. A rider has to co-ordinate his legs, arms, weight, hands, balance and brains to ride the horse.

Myth-3: A broken-leg horse must be shot down
Fact: This used to be a common practice in the earlier times. More than relieving the owner of the medical expenses, this practice was a type of mercy killing. It is true that horses’ leg is difficult to put back in shape due to the weight of horse. But now-a-days, a broken leg can be mended. There are many skilled veterinarians who are well versed metal leg implants surgeries.

Myth-4: Horses don’t get sick!
Fact: Don’t know who said this. Yes, ponies have the tendency to go without health problems for years. But horses need to be seen by the vet twice in a year.

Myth-5: Horses don’t need grooming
Fact: Groom your horse with products like Outdoor Rugs, Summer Anti Sheets, Indoor Rugs, Saddle Pads, Bandages, and accessories. Grooming the horse is important for maintaining its health and happiness. Before getting domesticated, horses had the wild forest to do all their grooming themselves. They would groom each other and rub against trees to maintain healthy skin. Now as these horses got tamed, they are left with humans to look after them. Grooming would make the horse healthy and happy. Moreover grooming your horse is the best way to bond with it.

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Styling your Horse

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Is your horse getting ready for the big show day? Here are some of the useful pointers that need to be kept in mind to make your horse look good & stand out in the crowd. The best ways to start grooming your horse is by spending quality time with him & understand his/her behavior. Even a quick dust-off before riding can help in better styling your horse.

Styling horse is not just about merely running a brush over the horse, picking its feet and leaving it at that, but there are many other elements that need to be considered to bring out the best in a horse.

So let’s get started in styling your horse, the very first step that goes into styling your horse is to curry your horse that comes in plastic or rubber one & use them in circular motion on the horse’s coat this technique helps in easing horse muscles and increasing circulation in their entire body like neck and down the legs to the knees/hocks.

After brushing the very next step is to use a hard bristled brush and use them in short strokes in the direction of the hair to wipe off the dust from the horse coat & make them smooth & even. Make sure you don’t use them on the horse’s face as the bristles are hard & their eyes might get hurt.

At the end use a soft brush with a long, soft bristles to remove off the remaining dust and dirt in long brushstrokes movements to get a final shine on the horse coat including their face. After giving proper attention to horse body the next thing that needs to be taken care of is their feet. Today markets have been flooded with various products to give shine to their feet. When you try to clean a horse feet make sure you remove all debris/ stones lodged in their foot or it might cause lameness. Finally if you want to buy any of these special brushes or hoof picks contact us at irisoverseas.com we have a wide range of products for horse styling.

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Horse Riding Vacations

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Galloping on the back of a horse has always been a great pass time for adventure lovers across the world. There is nothing like spending a vacation by exploring a new place riding a horse.  This is the kind of stuff equestrians across the world dream of.

Try taking a horseback riding vacation in the deserts of Mongolia, or gallop across the Himalayas to see the beautiful sun set or go desert safari in the Sahara to really know what pleasures you can get from this age old time pass. Going on a long horse ride can give you experiences that will last a lifetime.

Riding alone on a balmy day across the beautiful countryside is another thing you can do on an idle vacation morning. This will bring you close to people you would never meet in your lifetime and places you would never see otherwise in a car. If this is the kind of stuff you enjoy, then you must give a try to horse riding.

The good news is that you don’t have to buy a horse and take it to those locations. There are horse-riding holidays arranged across the world’s most beautiful locations. Whether you want to ride through the jungles and camp under the star lit sky or you want to come back in the evening and spend the night in a lavish hotel, there are plenty of options. You can have a customized holiday tailored to your needs.

These holidays are suited for the beginners as well as the experienced horse riders. Experienced horse riders can enhance their skills and explore new places and picturesque landscapes on their own while the beginners can take the help of instructors, which are there as guides. And these holiday providers provide you with all the horse riding equipment, which is needed.

All you horse lovers! What are you waiting for now? Gallop across an action packed and adrenaline-pumping holiday.

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