Monthly Archives: September 2014

5 Tips for Reducing Horse Tack Clutter

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horse tack clutter

Over time horse tack and other equipment can accumulate and make your tack room and barn aisles overcrowded. Barn clutter does more than just make a barn look messy. Extraneous items in barn aisles can get in the way, impede movement and cause potentially harmful situations. With winter and blanketing season approaching, the aisles can become even more chaotic as wet blankets are hung to dry and various blanketing layers are stored around stalls. Start with these tips to reduce the horse tack clutter around your barn:

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Fall Riding Apparel Essentials

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fall riding apparel

After a summer of wearing the most lightweight riding tights and tank tops you could find to stay cool, the weather is finally shifting. The crisp fall weather has arrived, and with it the need for a change in riding wardrobe. Fall riding apparel is all about the layers. Having the right items will keep you comfortable while you’re getting ready to ride, and allow you to shed a layer as you warm up in the saddle. Make sure you have everything you need to be appropriately outfitted this season.

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Suffolk Downs OTTBs – From the Backside to Your Barn

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BLOG_FACEBOOKIMAGEAfter a 79 year legacy of horse racing, Suffolk Downs has announced that it will be closing its starting gates at the end of the 2014 Season on September 29th. Many of the Thoroughbreds that have found their first careers at the track will be in need of new homes and jobs after the closing. While there will be a grace period after the track closes in order to allow horses to be matched with new owners, CANTER New England, a non-profit horse welfare group, expects that over 100 horses will need to be re-homed by mid-October.

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Fall Blanketing – Why You Need a Turnout Sheet or Light Blanket

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turnout sheet

As we head into fall, many horse owners are starting to think about blanketing and which layers they will need to keep their horses warm and dry this season. A turnout sheet or light blanket can be important elements to add to your horse’s wardrobe to protect from mud and rain as the weather starts to cool, and is equally useful in the spring when weather is warming but still retains a chill. A turnout sheet is a lightweight, waterproof sheet with no fill, which is great for turnout to protect from mud, rain or wind. A light turnout blanket will protect from mud, rain and wind as well, with the additional benefit of having a light fill to provide additional warmth.  Each of these horse clothing options are not necessarily required, but are great options in certain conditions.

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Functional and Waterproof Boots for the Barnyard and Beyond

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waterproof boots

As a rider, a lot of your time is spent wearing paddock boots or tall boots while riding your horse, but these footwear options are not always your ideal choice for days when you’re not riding. You’ll always spend a good deal of time working around the barn, hand-walking, cleaning stalls, scrubbing buckets or bathing and grooming your horse, when alternate, waterproof boots are better suited. It’s also likely that you may be coming from or going to other activities, such as work, errands or meeting friends, when having fashionable as well as functional footwear would be a great added bonus.

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The Other 4-Legged Friend – Favorite Breeds of Barn Dogs

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barn dogs

Dogs just seem to go along with horses. Spotted at many barns, show grounds and homes of equestrians, many riders keep a smaller four-legged friend nearby. While a vast array of dog breeds, including mixed breeds, would make excellent companions for both riders and horses, the same breeds of barn dogs are often seen repeatedly in the equestrian world. It seems that many riders may have a preference for particular dogs, and for a reason.

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