"Horsey" Tips

Healthy Horse Signs

Temperature 100.5 Pulse 40/minute Respiration 8 to 12/minute

Estrus Cycle 21 days Heat Cycle 5 days

Did You Know….

If you have pets in the house, don't use Swiffer Wetjet. If your pet walks across the floor & licks it's paws it can be fatal!

For only $8, you can make your own equine ice/heat leg wrap? I have the Techni-Ice sheets in stock that can be frozen or heated. All you have to do is sew a thin kitchen towel together to make a sleeve for the ice pack & add velcro straps. Rather than spending $100 or more for "real" ice packs or water boots, this is the way I treat injuries. I also use these same ice packs in my cooler & saddle bags (never have soggy sandwiches again)!

Muzzles are a great thing! Do you have a horse that is too fat, founders easily on pasture, sucks air, chews wood or other horse's tails, or tears stitches out of wounds? Forget a diet, separating into a stall or never putting him on pasture again, simply try one of the two styles of muzzles in stock. One style is metal, the other style mainly fabric with a rubber disc in the bottom that can be cut to any size to limit food intake. I have used them on my ponies in spring pasture to prevent founder, on boarder's horses for sucking air & chewing wood & also on overweight horses. They are a nice alternative to other methods of prevention.

Leather Care Tips

What do I need to put on my new saddle or boots?

Good quality new saddles come ready to use except for one easy step. Using an aerosol water & stain repellant will make water (and even beer) stains less obvious & protect the leather. For only $4, this 1 minute of care will prolong the life of your saddle, boots, etc.

How often should I clean my saddle?

I often have customers want to trade in a saddle that they bought new 3 or 4 years ago. It is obvious there was little or no leather care during the entire time. I have an 11 year old saddle that is in much better condition than most saddles half that age due to regular maintenance. So, if you want to protect your investment, follow these steps. Every year, clean & condition your saddle 3 to 4 times. Recommended products: if your saddle is new, use a product like Bick 4 which cleans and conditions all in one step followed by water & stain repellant OR use saddle soap followed by one of the oils listed below then water & stain repellant. If your saddle is a few years old or hasn't received proper care use saddle soap followed by neatsfoot oil then water & stain repellant.

Don't want your leather to darken when you clean it?

Most saddle soaps/cleaners will not darken leather. However, most oils/conditioners will darken leather. Try Lexol conditioner or Tee See Oil on light colored leather (test a spot on the underside of the fender to be sure before applying to the entire saddle. The leather will temporarily darken until it dries.)