Happy New Year!
Is this the year you are going to go on that multi-day horse-packing trip? Enter that big competition? Breed your good mare? Or just spend more time in the barn? New Years Resolutions are one of those traditional things we often make, but don’t carry through. Kick off the New Year by putting your good intentions into practice and resolving to make changes around the barn that you’ve been putting off. To give you a jump-start, Equus Magazine has posted their New Year’s Resolutions for Horsekeepers – a friendly list of possible resolutions with suggestions for implementing them. What’s Equus’ #1 Resolution? It’s Increasing Your Horse’s Turnout Time! Read why turnout is so important, and what else they recommend in this blog post.
This time of year can be a challenge for horse owners. Short days (but they are getting longer!), rain, wind, mud … A horse owners chores are never done, and that includes hoof care. Winter hoof care is not anyone’s favorite job and trying to scrape packed mud out of a wet hoof is made a lot worse if the hoof pick breaks, or is hard to hold. So, check out the Ultimate Hoof Pick. The easy-grip handle fits solidly in your hand and superior ergonomic design removes the toughest, packed-in dirt. Made by a small company in Colorado and guaranteed to be the best hoof pick you will ever need, you can also save 20% this month with the OTRL Subscriber’s Coupon!
What else can you do for your horses hoof health during the winter? Having a dry place to stand so that the hooves can dry out heads off several common hoof problems, such as thrush, bruises and abscesses. Need to construct somewhere dry for your horses? Rainbow carries stall mats, and several types of bedding, to help get those hooves above the mud! Don’t skip that farrier visit in the winter, either. While horses’ hooves grow slower during the winter, they still need to be trimmed so that cracks or splits don’t develop, giving bacteria a way in to the hoof.
High School Rodeo competitor Rylee DeMarta shares how she keeps her horses in shape and ready to compete, even during the winter weather. Rylee is preparing for a rodeo later in January, and as Rainbow Ag’s representative will be reporting on all the activities.
Read Rylee’s January report right here …
The horse barn is not the only place on the rancho where mud and weeds are a problem. How about your back yard? If you have ever looked out on a muddy, grassy yard and wish it was a more usable space in all weathers, come into Ukiah Brickyard Building Materials (located at the Ukiah store on Perkins Street) to see the variety of pavers and wall systems that can turn the “swamp” into the coolest patio on the block! There’s even fire pit kits!
Trivia! All answers are entered into a random drawing. This month, tell us what your Horse-related New Year’s Resolutions are! There are no wrong answers and all responses will be entered in the drawing, so share away, and Happy New Year!