Having the perfect bit can feel like a dream. As if you had put magic in your horse’s mouth, suddenly they are responding with eagerness, turning your ride into a complete dream. But having the wrong bit can feel like a nightmare – your horse can refuse to listen, throw its head, and act out. Choosing the correct bit can be overwhelming.. There’s tons of variations and materials to choose from, and there’s a lot of pressure to get it right. It’s a very sensitive area of the horse, we want to be careful what we put in that sensitive area. And sometimes it takes trial and error to figure out what kind of bit makes our horse happy, resulting in a tack room full of bits, with a lot of money spent. We want to avoid that as much as possible, so we try to select a bit based on the way our horse is acting. Choosing a bit can be both a science and an art: if your horse is doing a certain behavior, it may mean a particular bit will help. But since we’re talking about a live animal and not a robot, sometimes it doesn’t always play out the way we think it will.  It’s also important to keep in mind that sometimes the problem isn’t with the bit. The problem could be that your horse doesn’t understand rein aids. Before spending money trying different bits, back up and see if your horse actually understands what its being asked.  How to pick the right bit for your green horse? When choosing a bit for a horse, there’s numerous factors to think about (which is why it can be so overwhelming!). The training level of the horse, the skill of the rider, and the personality of the horse all come into play. The horse’s mouth is sensitive, which is why it falls upon us to choose a bit with care. Bits that overwhelm or scare a horse are never okay.  Bits for green horses are especially important since they are still learning. If a horse has a bad experience, it can stick with them for a lifetime.  When in doubt, always ask your trainer. The person who knows your goals, knows your riding ability, and knows your horse, is always going to have good insight for what would work best. However, we as horsemen should still understand why certain bits work for different things – it’s our part of our responsibility to our horse. Overall Picks There’s so many different combinations of cheek pieces and mouth pieces that you can practically have a bit for every possible situation. But to narrow down the choices, here’s a quick rundown of my picks. Scroll down for the specifics on each bit.  Best for a young horse’s first bit: Solid Rubber Mouth Loose ring Best for a horse that leans on the bit: NS Team up Loose Ring Best for Reinforcing turn aids: Korsteel French Link Full Cheek Snaffle Best for all purpose horse starting: Myler Medium Dee Low Port Comfort Snaffle Best to encourage salivation: Herm Sprenger Copper Plus Double Joint Eggbutt Best for Horses with Allergies and/or sensitivities: Acavallo Sensitive Bit Now let’s go over each type of bit and why you would use it.  Loose Ring Snaffle The loose rings on these types of bits can rotate freely around. When the rider uses the reins, the rings can turn, giving more play and finesse to their aids.  Pros: Good for horses who lean on the bit, as the bit is so mobile in the mouth.  When the horse is in good contact, the bit is held in place, and very fine movements from the rider will transmit to the horse.  Cons: Loose rings can have a lot of movement, which can be distracting or uncomfortable for a horse, causing head tossing. Riders who cannot keep good contact may come off very noisy to the horse, potentially upsetting them. Poorly made bits can pinch at the mouth Solid Rubber Mouth Loose Ring This thick mouthpiece is soft on the tongue and bars of the mouth and does not effect the roof of the mouth. Pressure from the reins is spread across the mouth. This is a comfortable and welcome introduction to using a bit. Best for: a young horse’s first bit.  buy on amazon Korsteel Solid Rubber Mouth Loose Ring Snaffle Bit, 5.5″ NS Team Up Loose Ring This soft, ergonomically shaped bit is very comfortable for horses, potentially reducing leaning behavior. Best for: Horses that lean buy on amazon – size 5 buy on amazon – size 5 1/4 Neue Schule NS Team Up Loose Ring, Size 5, Salox Gold Full Cheek Snaffle This bit has long bars on the cheek pieces. So long, in fact, that you should generally use a little strap to keep the bars in place on the bridle.  Pros: Side bars help a horse learn to give to pressure, as they apply pressure to the opposite side of the face. This is frequently referred to as lateral movement.  The bars help keep the bit steady in the horse’s mouth, it will not move back and forth.  Good for riders who don’t have steady hands as less movement makes it to the horse’s mouth. Cons: Needs additional tack to ensure safe use.  Subtle rein aids may not be as clear to the horse.  Korsteel French Link Full Cheek Snaffle Bit The French link offers independent control over the two sides of the mouth, and can mold a bit over the tongue, making it ideal for a horse with low palate clearance.  Best for: Reinforcing turn aids buy on Amazon Korsteel Stainless Steel French Link Full Cheek Snaffle Bit, 5″ D-Ring Snaffle Bit As it says in the name, the cheek pieces of this bit are shaped like D’s, creating mini bars that are against the cheek.  Pros:  Offers similar lateral movement to the full cheek, without the complications of having a big bar on the face. Keeps the bit steady in the mouth, which makes it more forgiving for green riders and comfortable for the horse.  Cons:  Subtle rein aids may not be as clear to the horse.  Myler Medium Dee Low Port Comfort Snaffle This bit is stable in the mouth, encouraging lateral side movement without the full cheek bars. It provides even pressure across the entire mouth. This is a comfortable bit for horses to learn in.  Best for: all around horse starting.   buy on Amazon Myler Medium Dee Low Port Comfort Snaffle Mb 04 5 Acavallo Sensitive Bit Innovative, anti-allergic plastic material, flexible, but reinforced with a flexible steel cable. The bar is a single, straight bar, slightly arched to allow for tongue relief. The design ensures rein pressure is evenly distributed across the tongue, jaw, and mouth corners.  Best for: Very sensitive horses.  buy on amazon Acavallo Sensitive Bit AC792 – Black/Blue Eggbutt Snaffle The eggbutt snaffle is named from being kind of egg shaped, and also butting up against the mouthpiece. We horse people are very clever with our names.  Pros:  Fixed cheek piece, so there is no movement on the cheeks.  Mouthpiece is held steady in the horse’s mouth.  Good for less experienced riders as less movement is translated in to the mouth.  Cons:  Horses can lean on the bit much easier.  Harder for the rider to give subtle cues and loosen up the horse laterally.  Herm Sprenger Copper Plus Double Joint Eggbutt Gentle on the corners of the mouth, with a French link to reduce action on the roof of the mouth, and the copper encourages salivating, making horse more comfortable with the bit.  Best for: encouraging salivation. buy on Amazon Herm Sprenger Copper Plus Double Joint Eggbutt – COPPER MM Bit choice is important, and it can be tough to know exactly what your horse needs. Ultimately, for a young horse, go as simple as you can, unless a problem shows up. Simplicity and good training will ultimately provide the best start for your horse. But understanding the why of bits will help you and your horse along your journey, and make for a happy horse.   The post The Best Bits for Green Horses appeared first on An Equestrian Life.

Iceland is one of the most dramatic and unique landscapes to see. Looking across the land makes you feel like you’re in an alien world. Volcanos and snow live side by side, creating incredible sights unlike any other.  I went to Iceland last year and it was incredible. I’m planning out my next trip, because last time I ended up missing one of the most important aspects of traveling anywhere – I didn’t get to ride! There just wasn’t enough time. But, I rationalized that meant I’d have to return, which is not something I’m upset about. The landscape, the culture, and the yummy food are all things I would love to experience again.  Planning a trip can take a lot of effort, both from researching to back and forth with venues, to every other aspect there is. That’s why it’s super nice that there are websites like BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. They have a collection of curated vacations where you basically just show up, and you’ll be completely taken care of. Riding and traveling are the perfect combination to me, which is why my next vacation will be planned through them.  Before we get to the vacations, here’s what you need to know about taking a riding vacation in Iceland. In a hurry? Go right to the trips. Best horseback riding trip to see a variety of nature – Mountain and Beach Horse Riding Holiday in Snæfellsnes Best horseback riding trip for families – 4 Day Saltvík Comfort Horse Riding Holiday in Húsavík, Norðurþing Best horseback riding trip for advanced riders – 6 Day Under The Mystique Midnight Sun Horse Riding Holiday in Northwestern Region One of Iceland’s unique restaurants, Ingólfsskáli, in a Viking long house. (there aren’t ghosts in the photo, it’s reflections from the window, I was inside a bus) What to Expect You will be riding an Icelandic All of the estimated 80,000 horses in Iceland are Icelandics, so that is what you will be riding. There are no other options, as it’s illegal to bring in any outside horses onto the island – in fact, it’s illegal to bring in many outside animals. This is done to protect the native species. Spreadable disease is low to non-existent thanks to this protection. Even if a horse was born there, if they leave the island for any reason, they cannot come back.  Icelandics are small, but don’t you dare call them ponies! It’s a bit of a faux pas, so many sure you refer to them as “horses,” even though they are small enough to be considered ponies. But don’t let their size fool you, they are strong little guys, and all healthy horses are fine carrying the average adult weight. Icelandic horses have five gaits, so you’ll be able to experience the smooth and fast tolt as you explore.  When You Go Matters As you may guess from the name, Iceland can have a lot of ice. The winters are cold and long. During the winter months, daylight only lasts for a few hours a day, so your riding hours can be limited. Plus, it’s pretty likely there will be thick snow or winter storms happening.  If you go during the summer, it’s a totally different experience. I was there during the summer solstice, and there’s was sunlight nearly all day. One night we were walking back to our hotel room at midnight, and it felt like daytime, which was such a novel feeling of being out in the middle of the night… even thought it was also raining that night.   The midnight sun means you can ride almost all hours of the day. Some of the tours are designed specifically around the midnight sun. It’s strange and thrilling to be keeping such weird hours, but such is the nature of taking a bucket-list, life changing trip.  But also, bring eye masks for when you do actually want to sleep. Many hotels have black out curtains for this very reason.  The Weather Changes Can be Drastic Iceland is known for having pretty extreme weather. It can seem like it’s going to be a nice day, when you’re suddenly struck by a storm. Your tour guide will be your best bet for ensuring your preparation on a daily basis, but you need to prepare in advance, too. Bring layers! Have layers for cold and have layers for rain. Between those two, you should be well equipped to handle all your riding.  Beware Nature Iceland is incredible in so many ways, but it’s also wild. I’m not talking about the animals either, there’s virtually no wild animals on the island that can hurt you, the biggest predator there is the fox.  I’m talking about the weather, the ocean, and the terrain. Most tourists accidents happen when people ignore posted warnings and decide to do whatever they want, which mostly means trying to get the perfect photo. Tourist get swept away by the ocean, fall off cliffs, fall into waterfalls and rivers, and get lost in the highlands. They underestimate what nature can do to them.  The saddest part is that all of these things are completely avoidable. Don’t become a statistic, just follow the rules and your guides, and you’ll be in good hands.  Quick Tips Nearly everyone there speaks English, especially young people and those in the city.  The currency is Krona, but credits cards are accepted everywhere. You will have the option to pay in Krona when you check out, choose that option to avoid conversion fees.  Now, let’s take a look at the tours that I’m eyeing up!  (contains affiliates) 8 Day Mountain and Beach Horse Riding Holiday in Snæfellsnes For those who want an extended ride time to experience all the variety of Iceland in one riding trip, this tour through Snæfellsjökull National Park is the best way to do it. There’s both golden and black long, sandy beaches, volcano fields, craters, glaciers, and the active volcano, Snæfellsjökull. With this much riding, you should be an experienced rider to take advantage of this vacation. But there’s plenty of time to fully appreciate the beauty of Iceland.  Best for: Seeing a huge variety of Iceland’s natural beauty. view tour 4 Day Saltvík Comfort Horse Riding Holiday in Húsavík, Norðurþing You, the amazing equestrian would like to go on a riding vacation, but your spouse is not really a rider. You can still vacation together! This vacation has options for beginners to advanced riders, so families can vacation together, but choose how much riding they want to do.  When my kids are older, this is definitely a trip I’d like to do! The beginners can just do a little bit of riding and then go sight seeing, and those who can’t get enough riding can just ride all day.  The perfect solution for families! This trip is on the northern shore of Iceland, which means beach riding plus those open fields. There are several places nearby to check out, including hot springs and waterfalls.  Best for: families.   view trip 6 Day Under The Mystique Midnight Sun Horse Riding Holiday in Northwestern Region This advanced level ride takes place on the the northern part of Iceland, near and including the highlands. This area is sparsely occupied by either locals or tourists, so you will feel like you’re out in the wilds here.  This is a natural world lover’s vacation. You’ll be witnessing much of the incredible Iceland countryside, under the magical light of the midnight sun. You will wander across the countryside, witnessing the black beaches, fishing villages, and plains, returning to your cozy room to sleep in late.  view trip This is just a small selection of the numerous vacations on BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. If you had unlimited money and time, which ones would you do?  Even thought all these tours are out in the countryside, it’s incredible easy to base in Reykjavik and set up excursions. I highly recommend spending some time either before or after your tour to see some of the other incredible sights Iceland has to offer.  Iceland is an incredible country to visit. It’s safe, easy to get to from USA and Europe, and it’s welcoming. Whether you are a first time international traveler or a seasoned veteran, there’s something for you in Iceland – especially tons of amazing horses.  The post Horseback Riding Vacations in Iceland appeared first on An Equestrian Life.

Horse coats are fascinating. There’s bays, grays, chestnuts, blacks, and palominos. But then there’s even more variety – there’s variations on those basic coat colors, modifying colors and giving some horses unique patterns. Horse coats are so important to us, we even have whole breeds that were created just around coat variation (looking at your, Paint Horse Association).  My interest in coat colors started with my own horse. I’ve owned Vintage, my appaloosa mare for over 20 years now. I’ve had her since I was a kid. She’s a bay appaloosa with a snowflake pattern. Don’t ask me why, but in my mind, I considered this roaning. She’s got lots of white hairs all over her body, that is roan, right? She’s become progressively lighter every year, which I still thought was roan.  The oldest picture I can currently find of Vintage (2004) Vintage this winter But one day I came to the startling realization that she’s actually not roan. Roan doesn’t change. Horses with the roan gene show their roan after their first foal shed, and it sticks with them the rest of their life. What I was seeing was an appaloosa changing her spots. Instead, my other horse, the beautiful Stubert, might be a roan. Yes, that big chestnut boy has little white flecks of hair on him. It’s so small that it’s not even visible on camera. His full brother, who I also met, is a roan bay and it’s extremely visible. Since Stu’s roan isn’t very visible, I don’t even have photos of it. It looks like a standard chestnut coat.  What is Roan? Roan seems like it would be easy enough, it’s white hairs across a base coat. But, as I’ve found out, it’s not so simple. Roan horses are born with their color (which only shows up after the first foal shed), and then it never changes, that is their color for life. Except in a few circumstances: With the skin is damaged, sometimes by even the most minor of scrapes, the hair grows back solid colored. They are called “corn marks.” No injury but they still appeared? Well, having an injury wasn’t required! Unlike vampires, they don’t need an invitation to show up.  When the horse is in really good health, they can develop reverse dapples. Usually, dapples show up darker than the surrounding coat, but on roans, they show up lighter.  Different Colors of Roan Roans come in a huge variety, since the base coat can differ, as well as the amount of white hairs. Some horses get a lot, some horses get just a sprinkle. There isn’t usually any white roan hairs on the head, lower legs, or mane and tail though. Roan can be present on any color base, but it is harder to see on lighter colors. There are however, three different bases that are seen most frequently.  Red Roan Chestnut with roaning, also called a strawberry roan. This would be Stu’s color, if I felt comfortable enough to use that term with him. Since he’s such a light roan, it makes me uncomfortable. Blue Roan A black base with roaning is a blue roan.  Fun Fact. when I was in middle school, without a horse, eager to learn anything about horses, I was talking with an acquaintance about horses. She had a horse, and I naturally wanted to be friends with anyone who loved horses. I asked her if she knew about blue roans, and she said yes, and I asked if they actually look blue. She said yes. I was in amazement, imagining a horse the color of the sky. The fact that I’d never seen a horse that color did not dissuade me.  I’ll never know if that’s what she meant, or if she was being really generous with the idea of “blue.” Unfortunately we did not become friends so it never came up again. I know a lot of animals have coats that people call “blue,” but I refuse to believe that’s actually blue. Just look at the image above, those horses are wearing blue halters, and the horses and the halters are clearly not the same color.   Bay Roan Bay base with roan.  Are you perhaps wondering why you don’t see roans very often? Well, they seem to run in certain bloodlines/breeds, so you’d have to be hanging around with these breeds to see them. For instance, for those who hang out with thoroughbreds, there’s only been one thoroughbred line, Catch a Bird, genetically verified as true roan. You’re not likely to see any true roans there.  Breeds that do have prominent roan include some European draft horses like the Ardennes, and some common US breeds such as Quarter horses, Paints, Standardbreeds, Missouri Fox Trotters and Tennessee Walking horses. Some other breeds are Icelandics, Connemaras, Welsh and Shetland Ponies, and Paso Finos.  Interestingly enough, there are no Arabians that have been genetically proven to be roan. Arabians that look roan are instead speculated to be horses graying out.  To add a layer of confusion, it’s impossible to say exactly how many horses are true roans, as many of the registrations accept owner interpretation, without being DNA tested. For instance, I didn’t get Stu tested, I’m just going off what I see. It’s possible he’s not a roan, and I’m seeing something else. Honestly it feels weird to call him a roan to begin with, there isn’t that much white hair. I’ll get him tested for a follow up.  What Causes Roan? Roan is caused by a dominant gene (Rn). Rn is a modifier of other coat genes, so a horse might have a dominant bay gene, modified by the roan gene, resulting in the bay roan.  Roan must be present, meaning visible, in the horse for it to be passed on to the next generation. There’s no skipping of generations here. In events where it seems like the horse is miraculously born with roan out of non-roan parents, further inspection will likely show that a parent is actually a roan, it was just well hidden. Since the gene is Rn, it doesn’t mean that roan children are guaranteed. But you might assume that two roan parents would increase your chances of getting roan, right? Well, it might, but it might also increase the chances of fetal death. After noticing that two roans breed together was resulting in fewer foals, a study was preformed. The 1979 study of Belgium draft horses (Hintz; van Vleck. “Lethal dominant roan in horses”. Journal of Heredity 70: 145–6.) found that the in the homozygous condition with two parents having the roan gene resulted in death to the embryo, much like how lethal white works.  But, confusingly enough, in the time since that study, some quarter horse stallions have been proven to be homozygous through genetic testing, which puts some doubt in the study.   In 2020, a new study came out, this time using Icelandic Horses. This time, they were unable to find any proof that homozygous roan would result in death.  Is it possible that it’s different depending on the breed? Do Belgium drafts have another gene that contributes to the death? All questions I can’t answer. But overall, it seems the best practice for breeding two roans would probably be genetic testing, just to be sure.  Testing Your Horse Suspicious that your horse is a roan, but not quite sure? There could be something fishy going on with that coat. Well, you are in luck, because you can figure out 100% if your horse is a roan or not. UC Davis offers many genetics tests, and one of them tests for the roan gene. Your gentle heart will be at peace, knowing for sure if your horse is a roan.  Are you realizing now your horse is a roan? Or maybe you’ve discovered they aren’t? Tell me about it below! I love that we have so much variety in horse coat colors. It’s a fascinating topic, and it’s incredible how much a horse’s coat can differ from each other. I’m a lover of all coat colors of course, a healthy coat is the most beautiful of all. Hopefully this simplified roan coloration!  Curious about other coat colors? Find out about the epic battle of Sorrel Vs. Chestnut.  The post Understanding Roan appeared first on An Equestrian Life.

The primary function of iron is as a component of haemoglobin, which is vital for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. It is also a component of other proteins e.g. myoglobin, which transports oxygen in muscle tissue. Iron also supports anti-oxidant function and is involved in energy metabolism and the immune system. The horse utilises and recycles iron efficiently, and anaemia due to iron deficiency is exceedingly rare in the horse. The main source of iron for horses is through the forage they eat; however the levels vary between ample and more than ample and may even be too high. Occasionally water may contain excess levels of iron. Conversely, mare’s milk only contains low levels of iron and iron must not be fed to foals during their first few days of life as it may have fatal consequences. Requirements increase with workload and perhaps the strongest case for supplementation can be made with racehorses, when workload is heavy and forage restricted (but again, enlightened trainers are moving towards only restricting forage intake during the three days before racing). Evidence of dietary deficiency in the UK does not exist. Unfortunately, humans still (albeit less than in the past) think of the horse as a human and add iron to the diet in the mistaken belief that it will prevent anaemia. This iron is often added in the form of a supplement, in addition to that provided by the total diet. Toxicity may be caused by using e.g. supplements including added iron on top of a balanced diet or by grazing flood plains. When horses are grazed in fields that have been exposed to flood water, as has occurred frequently this winter, high iron levels in the deposited silt, and therefore the grass growing in it, can cause iron to accumulate in, and cause severe damage to, the horse’s liver, as it cannot be excreted. If your vet or nutritionist advises that your horse requires a hard feed with no added iron then TopSpec produce TopSpec Cool Feed Balancer, TopSpec Lite Feed Balancer and TopSpec Healthy Hoof supplement to provide suitable support in most situations. This Blog was brought to you in partnership with TopSpec.  See all their products available from Chestnut Mill Using this link TopSpec

The Hungarians were scared. The invading Mongolians had already taken over half the country, leaving destruction and death in their wake. The remaining citizens knew their defenses were not enough. They would be destroyed. Any moment they would attack, and the Hungarians didn’t know if they should fight, or try to flee. The heavy spring rains had turned the roads into a muddy mess, they were likely to just get stuck. But as they braced, preparing for what seemed like certain death, nothing happened. The army didn’t come. As the days turned into weeks, it looked like they weren’t going to come. Scouts went out to look. The army had completely left. Why had the Mongolian army, the strongest in the world at that time, conquerors of the most expansive region of land the world had ever seen, just given up? They were undefeatable. If they wanted land, they simply took it, wiping out anyone who stood in their path. Their agility in battle, on the backs of their small horses, was unrivaled. They could hang off the side of their horses to avoid arrows, yet return fire under the horse’s neck. They used sophisticated tactics such as tricking the enemy about which way they were coming from, swiftly changing direction at the last moment to swerve around, overtaking armies from the sides. Yet they just abandoned Hungary, a country that they had already worked their way halfway through. Why? The Mongolians had long been experts at fighting on horseback. They had been doing it for hundreds of years already. But they had just been fighting each other until one man, the son of a chief of a tribe, brought the fragmented tribes together. His own life had been incredibly difficult. As a child, his family was abandoned by the tribe when his father was killed. But his ruthlessness began at a young age, as he killed his half brother to become head of the family. As he grew into manhood, he used his charisma to bring people and made alliances with tribe leaders. His influence grew, and he eventually united all of the tribes, creating the Mongol Empire. As he seized greatness, he took on a new name, one that would be well known for the next thousand years: Genghis Khan. He believed he was destined for world domination, so he set out for it. His armies were ruthless, destroying everything in their paths. And their horses were a huge part of their success. The unassuming animals were small, coarse and hardy. They were pony sized, 12-14 hands high. They were used to cold, harsh winters, and foraging for their own food. Once tamed, they were friendly and reliable companions, who learned their jobs well. And one of those jobs was carrying full sized men into battle. When the Mongolian army moved, they brought a huge herd of horses with them, with each warrior having 5 or more horses to rotate through. The horses weren’t just battle mounts, they were also the source of food – lactating mares were preferred into order to drink their milk. But in a pinch, they would also drain blood from the neck and drink it. Their hair was also used for clothing, repairs, bowstrings, and rope. They were a symbol of wealth, and a source of spiritual comfort. When the warrior died, their mount would be killed, too, so they would have a ride in the afterlife. The horses were highly valued. Which is why, in 1242, the Mongolian army abandoned their attack on Hungary. The heavy rains had flooded the pastures, quickly turning them into a muddy mess with no grass to eat. The army, knowing their strength came from their horses, left for greener pastures. The Hardy Horse The horses are still small, coarse, and rugged. With the exception of no longer working as warhorses, little has changed for them since the days of Genghis Khan. The Mongolians have long used a hands off approach to horse care. The horses live in large herds on the steppe, with no fences stopping them. They are free to roam for miles to find what they need. There is a shortage of trees to build shelters, so the horses stay out in harsh conditions. In the summers, they will stand in the river to cool off and avoid bugs. The horses search for their own food all winter. The dwindling forage leaves them thin and frail at the end of winter, unable to be ridden. When the spring grass comes in, they fatten back up. There’s no farriers, but the constant movement of the horses trims the hooves naturally. There’s no vets, so owners rely on home remedies. There’s no trainers or books, instead all horse knowledge is passed on from parent to child. Children begin riding before they can walk, and are soon riding out with their parents. Typical herds are comprised of mostly mares and geldings, with only 2 or 3 stallions. The geldings are the literal workhorses, helping the family with most of the tasks. Mares are primarily tasked with simply raising their foals, as long as they also provide milk for the family. Once fermented, the milk becomes Kumis, a specialty drink of Mongolia. Stallions may work as well, but they are primarily for building the herd. Although the stallions are chosen by the families, they are still left up to their own to decide who and when to breed. This hands off approach has led to the largest genetic variation of any horse breed. This drives the natural selection that has built this incredibly hardy horse in such harsh conditions. Other breeds of horses cannot handle the extreme conditions. Some breeders, seeking a faster racehorse, have brought in thoroughbreds and Arabians, but these horses do not survive on their own. They freeze in the cold, or they can’t forage enough food for themselves to survive the winter. But since horse racing is a big deal in Mongolia, wealthier breeders have built stables for them to live in, and crossbreeds are taking over the races.  Riding the Mongolian Horse Families keep a select number of horses at their “gers,” the family tent homes. These horses are used to ride out and round up the rest of the herd. The horses are trained, but not in the way you may be used to. When they are young, the children will play with them, getting them used to people. When they are about 2 years old, they get used to a saddle on their backs. When they are ready, someone mounts up, and the goal is just to stay on until the horse is used to it. Sometimes the rider is bucked off, but they get right back up to continue the process. Eventually the horse understands, and will accept a rider. At 3 years old, the horse may be used for regular work.  But these horses are still independent. The horses are taught their basic job of carrying a rider, and then they are left to make their own decisions. Micromanaging a Mongolian horse will result in a very unhappy horse. Herding livestock is one of the primary jobs of the horses. The traditional top knot of a Mongolian racehorse The horses are usually decide which speed they want to move at, with a preference towards the canter. The stirrups of the saddle are high, much like a racing jockey, and the rider will spend much of the ride standing.  Although tourism is still developing in Mongolia, providing horse rides to tourists is lucrative. There’s several tour companies that arrange rides across the Mongolian Steppe, and there’s also rides like the Mongolian Derby, which brings in riders from all over the world. Only 30% of modern Mongolians remain as nomads. The majority of the population have moved into the cities. But even with the changing lifestyle of the Mongolians, there are still 3 million horses in Mongolia, nearly equal the human population of 3.3 million. Horses have long been the backbone of the Mongolian culture. Although modern life is changing Mongolia, there is still love for the horses that created their culture. “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without the wings.” Want to Ride a mongolian Horse? 13 Days Across the Orkhon Valley, Mongolia – Riding and packing trip (carried by mules and support vehicles, showing you the beauty of Mongolia. Good for experienced riders, with lots of cantering! 13 Day Nomadic Life Experience and Horse Trekking to Tsaatan, Mongolia – True nomadic experience, riding point to point, and not just horses, but reindeer, too! 7 Day Sightseeing and Horse Riding Holiday in Central Mongolia’s Eight Lakes Area – Ride out in the the beautiful Eight Lakes Area of Mongolia.  The post The Toughest Horses in the World – The Mongolian Horse appeared first on An Equestrian Life.

Selenium needs to work in conjunction with vitamin E in order for them both to act as  antioxidants to help maintain healthy cell function, repair DNA and reduce tissue damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are normally produced during cell metabolism but higher levels are produced in certain circumstances, for example, in a horse that is working hard or growing. As the functions of selenium are closely linked with vitamin E and the two should always be fed in the correct balance. Selenium is also found in proteins in the body involved in healthy muscle function and is important for healthy immune, neuromuscular and thyroid function. The thyroid function will affect growth and it is also important for healthy reproduction. Feeding appropriate amounts of selenium is particularly important for horses in hard work to support healthy muscle function. Horses prone to recurrent episodes of “tying-up” should have raised levels (but not dangerously raised) of selenium in the diet to support muscle function. Optimum levels are also important during pregnancy. During late pregnancy, selenium works with vitamin E to support the production of good quality colostrum. Selenium requirements also increase during growth. When horses are fed higher levels of oil in the diet it is important to ensure sufficiently high levels of  selenium are fed to help “mop up” the excess free radicals produced when oil is metabolised to produce energy. A diet deficient in selenium can lead to muscle failing to function properly, reproductive issues (uterine inertia has been reported in one mare) and cardiac problems. White muscle disease is occasionally seen in foals and even more rarely, death can result from selenium deficiency in adult horses. The difference between requirement and toxicity for selenium is narrow, with serious problems associated with excess. These can commence with a rough coat, loss of main and tail, separation of the hoof wall from the coronary band and follow with the loss of the hoof/hooves. Acute overdose can result in blindness and organ failure. When  an error was made in the selenium premix used in a horse supplement in the UK before the millennium many polo ponies had to be pts or died. The most likely source of this rare toxicity in the UK currently is the excessive use of multiple sources of selenium by the horse-owner e.g. the use of compound feed with a feed balancer and one or more supplements. This Blog was brought to you in partnership with TopSpec.  See all their products available from Chestnut Mill Using this link TopSpec