Everything about the Anderson Horse Farm

Check out the best posts from Anderson Horse Farm, these are my top 5 favorites! https://andersonhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-great-debate-english-vs-western.html I love this post because I have had experiences with both disciplines and understand how different they are. It can help the reader comprehend the topic as a whole and potentially make some choices on which discipline they want to get in to if they're just getting started.  https://andersonhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2024/09/understanding-ffa-record-books.html This post is in my top 5 because FFA was a huge part of my high school extracurriculars and it gave me so many experiences and opportunities. I even won a competition with my record book because I understood the prompt and executed it well. The post can be educational for all.  https://andersonhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2024/09/secretariat-profile.html This is by far my favorite post of my entire blog. Although this isn't about one of my horses specifically, every...

This is my opinion on debating equine riding tack of English versus Western. The same horse can be used for both disciplines, as long as they have been adequately trained and practiced. Many horse people have access to only one animal they can invest time and money in so versatility is key. English riding tack for the animal consists of a contoured pad that goes on the horses back and under the saddle. English saddles have one girth that is adjusted and tightened by buckles and straps. The stirrups are called irons and are made of metal with a rubber base for under the rider’s boot. The bridle used for English riding has a brow-band, throat-latch, noseband, bit, chain chinstrap and continuous rein all made of leather. Tacking up a horse for English riding can be a simple process, however, the purpose of the saddle is to keep your balance while on top of the animal, not to keep you “in the saddle”. Leg strength and coordinated balance are essential when riding in English tack. It can be...

Horses have the smallest size stomach for any wild or domestic animal. Due to this fact, a horse is meant to slowly eat or graze for eighteen to twenty hours a day. Horses are meant to walk several miles in a day to aid in digestion of forage consumed. Domesticated animals are usually confined to smaller spaces and fed rations twice daily which can be difficult on the animals digestive system. If I see a horse laying down for more than a short time, twenty to thirty minutes at most, the animal might be experiencing digestive discomfort, also known as colic. It is important to get the horse up on their feet and walking around right away. If a horse cannot walk due to pain, another way to help release the pressure on the digestive system is to load the horse in a trailer and drive slowly for a few miles. The motion of the trailer and the vibration of the road will help to gently massage the intestines and internal organs of the horse, making it less painful to tolerate the colic. Horses ...

4-H is America’s largest youth development organization – empowering nearly six million young people with skills to lead for a lifetime. For me, 4-H was about the livestock showing, but it is so much more for other people. The amount of different skills, experiences and knowledge given through this community is empowering. Based on their interests and guided by adult mentors, youth develop their own pathway in 4‑H. They select from a broad menu of local 4‑H programs. There are hands-on, learn-by-doing, opportunities for everyone. To name a few there is civic eng agement, healthy living, agriculture, and STEM. There are also things that you can create to show at the county fair and could even go to the state fair with your project. They have rockets, sewing, legos , baking, arts and crafts and so much more. 4-H had a profound impact on me from age 8 to 18. I was introduced to a local club by my siblings and soon made friends my own age. Monthly meetings were held to share informatio...

Founder in horses is a serious condition. The technical term is laminitis, meaning inflammation of the laminae (cushion under the hoof wall). Horses bear weight on their hooves 95% of the time. A common phrase used among horse people is “no hoof, no horse ”, meaning a horse cannot live without healthy hooves.   Laminitis is a condition that occurs when the tissues that connect the hoof wall to the pedal bone become inflamed and weakened, which can cause the pedal bone to move or separate from the hoof wall. A diagnosis can be made by a veterinarian or farrier noting changes in the white line, the cream-colored area at the base of the foot where the sole and hoof wall meet.   Several factors can cause laminitis, including digestive issues such as too much grain or sudden diet changes. Access to lush grass containing high sugar content is one of the most common ways a horse can founder . Additional causes are high fever or illness, hormonal disorders such as equine metabolic ...

Transportation of horses is important whether you are going a short distance or across the country. The main goal is to give the animals a safe and comfortable ride. Horses are hauled for showing, riding or going to a clinic or veterinarian.   There are several types of horse trailers, and they can be sorted by hitch types, bumper pull, gooseneck, and semi-truck variants. Horse trailers are constructed with materials such as alloy steel, lightweight aluminum, composites and hybrid combinations. Factors to consider when choosing a horse trailer are how many animals to haul, how much room for tack and gear and are amenities needed such as living space and storage.   The most common horse trailer is the original bumper pull, also referred to as tag-alongs. These trailers are often lighter weight with a maximum capacity of 3 to 4 horses. They are best used for short-distance trips and can be towed by smaller pickup trucks, RVs or SUVs. Bumper pull trailers are good for navigat...