Try these three inexpensive ideas to keep your horse healthier and happier.
Put a hoof pick on a small carabiner (rock-climbing ring with a screw-open or snap-open section.) Attach the carabiner to the pommel D-ring of your saddle when you go for a trail ride in case your horse gets a rock or other foreign object stuck in his foot.
If your horse wears a figure-8 noseband or a cavessonwith-flash attachment, you know how rough and stiff the piece of leather behind his lower lip gets. After a thorough cleaning to remove saliva and bits of hay and grass, rub a small amount of petroleum jelly into the strap. This makes the leather a bit smoother and softer against your horse’s tender skin. If the tack starts to chafe the skin or make bald raw spots, discontinue its use until the area heals. When you put that noseband back on your bridle, rub petroleum jelly on the strap and his skin every time that you tack up.
Stop by a camping or outdoor sports store and pick up several nylon mesh bags. They usually have a drawstring around the top to close them. These are super for keeping sponges in. Buy several so that you can have an assortment of sponges handy in the tack room, wash area and trailer. Attach one to your saddle for a trail ride on a hot summer day and use to sponge down your horse by a cool stream.
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