Winter poems

One little snowflake with nothing to do.Along came another andThen there were two.Two little snowflakes laughing with me.Along came another, andThen there were three.Three little snowflakes looking for some more.Along came another, andThen there were four.Four little snowflakes dancing a jive.Along came another, andThen there were five.Five little snowflakes having so much fun.Out came the sun, andThen there were none!

Keep your horse from slipping on the ice
Step 1
Riding during the winter can be beautiful and invigorating. In a time when most people hole up inside, some hardy equestrians want to go and explore the frozen and beautiful world. You can ride safely in the winter, but you will need to take some sensible precautions. Shoes that work on your horses feet any other time of year do NOT work in winter. So unless you plan on actively riding your horse in the winter, have his shoes pulled in the fall.
Step 2
If you do plan on riding, make sure your farrier comes to visit after the first real winter weather. Once the snow is on the ground for good, your horse will need to have special calks put in his shoes - essentially these are studs that will allow his shoes to act like golf shoes, or ice-climbing shoes. They will give him traction.
Step 3
If you only plan on the occasional winter ride, invest in some specialty items, like the Big Black Boot pictured, or another fitted boot for the hoof. These often come with traction and are excellent choices for the occasional winter ride in the snow and the ice.
Step 4
Don't forget your horse needs his feet looked after even if you are not riding. To prevent him slipping and falling on the ice, coat the bottoms of his hooves with Vaseline to keep the ice and snow from packing in and accumulating into a slippery ball.
Step 5
Finally, as a last resort, you may "score" the edge of the hooves to give the horse more natural traction, but this should NEVER be attempted by anyone but a farrier, as you could easily hurt the horse.

Healthy Horse Grooming Tips for Winter
Maintain your horse's health and haircoat this winter with these cold-weather grooming tips.

Once Mother Nature has clothed your horse in his winter haircoat, weight loss, wounds and skin infections are harder to recognize than when his coat was short and slick. Here are some tips that'll help you uncover--and prevent--problems through the winter.
Maintain Skin HealthMost winter skin conditions result from a dirty haircoat, which gives bacteria and fungi a foothold. Keep your horse's skin healthy by vigorously currying his body daily. In addition to lifting dirt and skin debris to the surface, it'll enable you to feel any diminishment in the fat layer over his ribs, indicating weight loss, and any bumps or clumpy hair that could signal a wound or skin condition. (For help in identifying skin problems, refer to "Skin Invader" in the March 1996 issue of Horse & Rider.)
Insider tip: For quick and easy dirt removal after currying, spray your horse's body, mane, tail and legs with a non-silicone hair-care product, such as Daily Coat Regimen (a new product by MVP Professional Horse Care Products, 817-851-0277), or Cowboy Magic, then follow with a soft finish brush or vacuum. (ShopVacs are inexpensive and work great.) Bonus: The slippery finish will help make dried mud easy to remove next time.
Treat Your Horse to a BathIf you have access to a draft-free area, treat your horse to a weekly hand-wash: Add a splash of Vetrolin (or your favorite body wash) to a bucket of warm water; apply to one body section at a time using a dampened sponge; towel dry. (Note: Not recommended in below-freezing temperatures, unless you have a heated barn.)

Insider tip: If your barn doesn't have hot water, use a wand-like bucket heater in a 5-gallon bucket. Most stores that sell stock-tank heaters carry them or can order one for you.
Insider tip: Speed the drying process with a human hair dryer (keep it moving to avoid burning your horse's skin) or an overhead heat lamp

Skin
Keep your horse's skin healthy by vigorously currying its body daily. Keep your horses, the stalls and all related equipment clean and dry to help avoid seasonal skin disorders, which can include rainrot, sratches greasy heel and ringworm.

Excellent winter horse care tips

While the NW has enjoyed unseasonably dry weather, we have also
been hit with a biting cold. The following article by Jayne Pedigo from www.equisearch.com covers a range of items that affect horses and
horse owners with helpful tips and hints.Winter can be a long drawn-out challenge in some parts of the world. With temperaturesbelow freezing
for several weeks or even months, it can be difficult to keep horses happy and healthy.
On the minds of horse owners are such things aswhether or not to
blanket, if and when to turn out, how to stop snow from balling up in hooves and how to deal with frozen water supplies. This article brings
together some ideas from members of the Horses forums, on a variety of winterrelated subjects. Frozen Faucets "If you have electricity out at your barn, there is a heat tape that is electric. You can probably find it at hardware stores or farm supply stores.
Just make sure you follow the directions on how to install...
There were problems with the old type of tape but the newer tapes meet safety standards.
Just follow directions."
P Mosely
"This may or may not help you, depending on how your barn is set up. I have a water faucet that is not frost free... I have a closet built around this
faucet. The closet is well insulated and about 2.5 feet wide and 6 or 7 feet tall... I live in Michigan and lately we've had highs only in the teens and
lows around 0 to 5 above. I have a light fixture in the
closet to add a little extra heat. It's located in the lower 1/3 of the closet in an out of the way area next to the faucet. It's one of those small ones with a safety glass globe and a wire cage around it to prevent it from getting broken. I have a 60 watt bulb in it. It's controlled by a switch in the
closet. With the door shut, the bulb will keep the closet at about 60 degrees, no matter how cold it gets outdoors.
Water Tank Heaters "Has anyone ever used a propane warmer to keep
water free if ice?
The guy I board from found one at a farm supply store. It seems to
work great. We have it set up in a 250 gal. trough. Up until a couple of days ago, I was hauling hot water to warm up the water
in the trough. Plus, we were havingto fish ice out. It's been a God send.

To Blanket or Not to Blanket
"I live in Michigan and have owned a 9 year old half-arab/pinto gelding for
the last 1 1/2 years. He originally came from a heated barn and had no
winter coat when I first got him so I put a heavy Big D blanket on
him.Now he has grown a good winter coat but I have been told that it is
healthier for him to go without a blanket as long as possible. I want to be
sure I am doing the right thing, so I wonder what guidelines are used to
determine whether or not to blanket". TateDakota "My belief is that if the horse is used to the changing temps and has enough coat to protect themself, they should be ok with the proper feed to help them out. We give ours free access to a good mixed hay & increased grain.
This not only keeps them fat, it helps to keep them warm when their bodies
are breaking down the food. "GiddyUpGoHost " I was told by my vet that if you do not blanket at the beginning and your horse grows his winter coat, don't then blanket him when it gets colder.A horses hair stands up to keep him warm, if you put a blanket on the hair can't stand up, then he may start to shed his coat. I blanket my Arab because he will shake every morning if I don't, he doesn't grow enough hair,and Arabs are thin skinned but most horses can keep warm enough without a blanket.... I would say if you blanket, then blanket, if not then don't at all. It is really just up to you, if you want to or not."
Majik's Mom

Keeping Snow out of Hooves

"I have heard that a little bit of Vaseline smeared on the bottom of the
hooves works just fine". Outtopasture "My horse has to be shod this winter due to some hoof problems. My farrier is putting pads on that have a little bubble like thing on the bottom that pops the snow out." Shadaisy
"Try spraying the bottoms of the hooves with a cooking spray (i.e.
PAM). Non-toxic. If your horse is afraid of the sound of a spray can, try
the pump spray. "
MagicLady

Haiti Tradgedy

Ace Tack & Outfitters sends our thoughts and prayers out to the Haitian people.
Ace will be accepting donations for the country, drop off donations for the the people and receive 25% off any one item. All donations will be forwarded to the Red Cross.

Horse Care Tips!

Horse care tips form Ace Tack:

Consider blanketing during wet, very windy, or frigid weather. A wet coat looses its loft--like a wet down jacket, and won’t hold body heat. Windy weather pulls warmth away. Some horses are comfortable during very cold weather; some will be more comfortable in a warm winter blanket.