The horse has many natural mechanisms by which it can regulate its heat loss. A horse can generate heat through digestion, muscle movement and the skin, fat and coat can provide insulation.

In a quiet corner of my facility is the geriatric wing. We do what we can for these wise old horses to make their final stage of life as comfortable as possible. They’ve given so much to so many riders over the years and I am happy to give them a noble and comfortable, albeit expensive, retirement.

'Paddock Paradise' is both a term and a concept used to describe a natural and humane way to keep healthy, happy horses based upon the lives of the wild, free-roaming horses in the US Great Basin. Introduced by veteran hoof care professional and natural horse care advocate Jamie Jackson in his 2006 book ‘Paddock Paradise: A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding,’ the premise of a natural boarding model is to provide safe, humane, living conditions which use the horse's natural instincts to stimulate and facilitate movement and other behaviours that are essential to a mentally and physically sound horse.

Keeping horses 'natural' can be challenging but in the case of barefoot trimming, there can be advantages.  Linzi Hill explains. Although it is thought that the horseshoe could have been introduced as early as the 4th Century, barefoot working horses have been in existence for as many years in countries such as Mongolia and the South Americas. 

Find out more about keeping horses "natural" and how barefoot trimming can help improve a horse's health, gait, horn growth, hoof shape and overall comfort. 

Do you know your horse’s weight? Callum Blair MRCVS explains the importance of getting it right for worming.

Do you know your horse’s weight? Callum Blair MRCVS explains the importance of getting it right for worming. The dose of wormers is determined through extensive research to establish the optimal amount of drug to achieve the desired effect (kill parasites) while avoiding undesirable side effects. Accordingly, if the full recommended does is administered the level of efficacy can be predicted under normal circumstances. Without access to a weighbridge, it can be tempting to make an estimate fit in with the weight that one syringe will treat (or half a syringe if you have a pony). This is not universal across all products as syringes vary from sufficient to treat 575kg up to 700kg.