Tough question time. Which horses have better health and welfare: leisure-riding horses? Or competition horses? A recent Swiss study has just shown that competition horses generally face greater limitations on their movement freedom. But leisure horses tend to be more obese and have slightly poorer-fitting saddles. And meanwhile, both groupsRead More →
That last truck ride. It’s like they know it’s their last. Horses loading into trucks headed for the slaughterhouse often rear, kick, paw, defecate, refuse to move, or charge abruptly the opposite direction, leading to injuries to themselves, to other horses, and to handlers, scientists say. High stress levels alsoRead More →
Tight Noseband? A poorly fitted bridle can give your horse as much discomfort as a poorly fitted bit. Even today, many riders are not fully aware that bridle fit can also influence the breathing and biomechanics of your horse, potentially changing the way they move and perform. The International CollegeRead More →
It is possible for horse people to get along? Horse people! We have a reputation for being a bit, well, crazy. But not just in the eccentric way. I mean in the way that we don’t get along very well with one another. It’s quite ironic that if anyone wasRead More →
Can sport horses be happy? The first ever Equitation Welfare Workshop took place on 1st & 2nd August and was attended by delegates from Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, The Netherlands and Italy. Owing to COVID-19, this technology-driven, collaborative workshop was a ‘pivot’ from the originally planned ‘Happy Athlete’ conference proposedRead More →
Weaning foals Six months old. That landmark age when your baby foal isn’t a baby anymore. Time to wean… As in, time to take him away from his dam, lock her up so she doesn’t injure anyone trying to get to her baby. And time to make him try toRead More →
Brumby welfare If people would just leave brumbies, mustangs, and other free-roaming horses alone, they’d be able to live peaceful, happy lives with good welfare. Right? Maybe. Or maybe not. Judging the welfare of wild, free-roaming animals actually isn’t something scientists have had the means to do, until now. AustralianRead More →
“There are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns” is a phrase US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used in a news briefing in February 2002 when speaking about the lack of evidence linking the government of Iraq with the supply of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ to terrorist groups. IRead More →
We can’t change the world by helping one horse and rider but we can change the world for that horse and rider. Over recent years, Horse Bit Fit consultants have placed a spotlight on the notion that bit and bridle fit must be considered as a routine part of everyRead More →
Noseband tightness in competition is a hot topic that is high on Equestrian Canada‘s agenda. In the process of revising the rules, this equestrian federation invited Professor Paul McGreevy to explain the science. Scroll down to watch the webinar… A riding instructor, veterinarian and ethologist, Paul McGreevy is Professor ofRead More →
