Recent content by supsup

As someone who has managed to kill several leisure batteries by deep-discharging them, I would add that it's a very nice feature to have an energiser that will automatically switch itself off if voltage drops below about 11V. Yes, leisure batteries might take the charge/discharge cycle better...

Very basic introduction: The fence works by building up a strong charge on the electric fence (created by the energiser). When the horse touches the fence, it closes the circuit and gets a shock. The circuit is between earth stake (ground) - energiser - tape - horse - ground. The horse basically...

My question the other week was "Who trimmed my pony? It wasn't me (or my farrier)!" Turns out it was indeed another livery's farrier who picked the wrong horse out of the group. This, despite mine having a very obvious freeze mark on his shoulder, and the other pony (being elderly) having a lot...

My absolute favourite (bought a year ago) is currently the "Milena" model from Kramer. It's a slightly stretchy microfibre fabric that is fleece-fluffy on the inside, and the outside is wind resistant and smooth. I wasn't too keen initially on the silicone grips over the seat, but have to say...

I used Confidence EQ in a competition setting with my gelding, who gets very wound up when he sees his field mate disappear in the distance. (Not at home, only at events.). This has been the bane of our competition life, as we usually travel together with field mate. I can't say it made much of...

True, the winter turnout area isn't that large. On the other hand, he has spent many a weekend in a stable-sized electric paddock without getting filled legs, and during spring-time, the field area allowed often wasn't much bigger than an arena either (to limit grass intake). So while I agree...

Interesting. If that's the case, I guess things should improve once the fields are closed for the winter, and the horses are confined to the paddock (no more grass).

I've also wondered about the diet, but there's a limited amount I can do about that. The yard owner makes (and also sells) his own hay. In fact the turnout areas (quite mixed/weedy, definitely not high-yield pasture) are cut for hay in the spring before being grazed. They deliberately got what...

He's 17 now. But I'd say he's no less fit now than he was 6 months ago, and the filled legs started after he move, so I'm a bit reluctant to put it down to 'old age'. In fact, the first time I noticed them was during the first two weeks, when he was still confined to a small area in the paddock...

Have any of you ever come across a case of filled legs that was not obviously caused by being stabled/lack of movement? My gelding and I moved back to Germany a few months ago, and unfortunately, he's now having filled legs on a fairly regular basis. They go down within minutes of taking him...

That's my gut feeling as well, yet this method is being sold as a fool-proof, easy to replicate way to train your horse.

I used Science Supplements Flexability last winter, and noticed an improvement after introducing it. (I hadn't with Equimins Flexijoint in previous years.) While Hack4fun has a point regarding individual ingredients, the SS Flexability is the only joint supplement I'm aware of that has been...

I recently came across a lunging method called 'equikinetic' again. It was 'invented' by a German guy and it is basically an interval training method for horses, on a small 8m circle. The circle is actually marked out as a square with poles on four sides with open corners, and the horse is...

Mine really loves the taste of the Spillers brand balancers (I used the Daily Balancer), which have no added iron these days. They don't have Cu/Zn levels as high as the Pro Balance, but I've been feeding half and half Spillers and Equimins (Advance Complete powder) for a while. The Equimins...

I like to use hydrogel (e.g. Vetalintex sterile wound hydrogel), using a large dollop and smoothing it over the wound of 5-10 mm thick like a flat dome. It bonds really well with the hair around the wound to make a seal (if the horse doesn't rub it off). The hydrogel will dry out over a day or...