Your Horse’s Body Condition Score

The scale ranges from 1 to 9. Please note that it isn’t healthy for your horse to be too skinny or overweight. Both come with their own set of health risks!

• 1 = emaciated
• 2 = very thin
• 3 = thin
• 4 = moderately thin
• 5 = ideal or moderate
• 6 = moderately fleshy
• 7 = fleshy
• 8 = very fleshy (fat)
• 9 = very fat (obese)

Each number is separated by about 50 pounds. There are six areas to measure when determining your horse’s number. They include along the neck, shoulders, wither, across the ribs, down the back, and the tail head. You’ll need to see and feel, in order to accurately determine their number.

SmartPak created a video with helpful diagrams and pictures. Follow along to correctly rate your horse’s body score.

It can be very helpful to know your horse’s number when going into a new season like winter. You’ll want to monitor them throughout the cold months and notice any changes immediately.

Body Language Signals

1. Ears pinned back: Angry or agitated
2. Pawing the ground: Impatient, bored, or frustrated
3. Showing the whites of their eye: Anxious, scared, or uncomfortable with the situation
4. Swishing tail: Annoyed, swatting at flies, or showing a dislike of something
5. Ears to the side: Listening attentively
6. Droopy lip: Relaxed
7. Stretching out their upper lip: When scratching them, you’ve found the good spot. They like that!
8. Cocked back leg: Resting and relaxed
9. Ears forward: Curious and observant
10. Tossing head: Bored, annoyed, or uneasy
11. Tight lips or a pursed muzzle: Stressed or fearful
12. Kicking or stomping: Angry or annoyed

From their eyes to their tail, your horse is constantly communicating. You’ll need to judge the situation to determine what they’re thinking and feeling. Once you learn to read your horse’s body language, you’ll improve your relationship with them immensely!

Glitter for Horses

Spruce up your horse with these fun glitter and sparkle products!

Your pony can sparkle from hoof to tail with this collection! It includes four different products to use on your horse- a hoof polish, body glitter, mane & tail gel, and shimmer body spray. Each is non-toxic and safe to use on your equine friends! Simply shake well and apply to the various parts of your horse. They can even be used on yourself and other pets. This collection comes in silver, but there are many other colors available too.

Want a simple way to spruce up your horse? Mane and tail tinsels really bring the sparkle! With all these fun colors, you can find one to match your horse and tack. They’re 30 inches long and contain about 10 strands. Each clip-in is reusable. For a mane, you’ll need roughly 5 to 7 clips.

How much fun are these glitter and tinsel options?!? Your horse will look amazing.

Tongue Over the Bit

Trainers get desperate to solve this problem, so they turn to methods like strapping the mouth stop or tying the tongue. This can lead to a resistant horse that only gets worse in the tacking up process! Fortunately, there’s a more humane method that can fix this problem.

South River Ranch offers a simple cowboy trick to keeping the bit on top of the tongue. She attaches a plain piece of string to the bit, then ties it loosely around the nose and browband. Check out her video to see how it’s done.

It’s as simple and easy as that! After a few rides, your horse will quickly realize they can’t get their tongue over the bit.

Being a horse trainer requires thinking outside the box sometimes. Always use humane methods! You’ll have a horse that’s more eager to work for you.

Chestnut Horses

Do you need some convincing that chestnut horses are gorgeous in every way? Check out these beauties then!

Wow! This stallion will definitely turn heads. Add some chrome to that coat color and he really pops!

Nothing like a cowgirl with the wind in her hair! These two are a pair to be reckoned with. They mean business!

Get it cowgirl! That horse is giving its all. She’s a lovely example of a chestnut Quarter Horse.

Many breeds come in this fun red color! This Quarter Horse is dominating in the reining world.

If you’re looking for something a little different, check out this Arabian. He is FIRE!

Hopefully, these beautiful examples swayed you to the chestnut side.

Following the 3Fs

The three demands a horse has are friends, forage, and freedom.

Friends: Your horse is a social being. They enjoy living in a herd and interacting with other equines on a day-to-day basis. They develop social bonds and feel secure within a herd. They often groom, play, and rest with their fellow mates. For their well-being, it’s important you give them the opportunity to be around other horses every day.

Forage: Horses need a forage-based diet. They’re grazers! Forage can be in the form of grass, hay, haylage, chaffs, and grass replacers. Not only is forage good for your horse’s gut, but it can improve their mental health. After all, they spend most of their day eating.

Freedom: The freedom of movement and freedom of choice are very important to your horse’s well-being. Ideally, group turnout is possible. This allows the horse to move throughout the day. They’re in charge of how and when they “stretch their legs”. Other ways to incorporate movement include loose schooling in a riding arena. For some, it can be hard to get their horse regular turnout, but the impact it has on their physical and mental health should prompt you to find a way.

The 3Fs of horses allows them to live a more natural life. These are fundamental requirements!

Balance in the Saddle

There are a few things you need to consider if you want to be better balanced in the saddle.

• First, your position is very important. Your heels should be down and feet parallel to the horse. A deep seat will keep you secure.
• Learn to ride with your hips. Your seat should be relaxed and going with the motion.
• Third, don’t forget to look up and ahead.
• Make sure your stirrups are an appropriate length.

Barrel Racing Training Help shares some more tips of how to stay balanced in the saddle. She specifically targets barrel racers.

To improve your balance, you can try riding without stirrups or closing your eyes. It can be helpful to try these on the lunge line first with a helper.

Don’t worry… With practice and time, you’ll be riding like a pro.

The Best Trail Riding Breeds

1. Quarter Horse: There isn’t much that the Quarter Horse can’t do! Many are steady, dependable, and eager to please. Other stock types like the Paint horse have a similar temperament.

2. Arabian: For those endurance riders that travel long distances, this breed is calling your name. They’re known for their stamina.

3. Mustang: Thanks to their wild heritage, this breed is known for excelling as trail horses. Mustangs are surefooted and very hardy!

Tennessee Walking Horse: This breed and other gaited ones offer a smooth and enjoyable trail experience. They’re especially good for riders who suffer back problems or other body aches. You can ride for hours without getting sore.

Morgan: They’re bold, surefooted, and hardy horses! Talk to a Morgan owner… I haven’t met one yet that has anything bad to say about their horse.

There are so many other good breeds of trail horses, so don’t let this list discourage you if you already have a horse. If you need somewhere to start on your horse-buying journey, then consider these top five trail riding breeds. The most important part of finding a good trail horse is to look for one that has a steady temperament, good training, and is surefooted.

A Good Mover

Professional horse trainer, Larry Trocha offers a video on what he thinks it takes to be a good mover. He talks about a few characteristics that the horse should have. In his example, Larry evaluates the movement of a palomino gelding.

Some of the things he notices are:

• Feet stay close to the ground, unlike a gaited horse with a lot of action. In the western world, that’s not desirable
• The hocks don’t go way behind the horse, rather they stay underneath him
• Good extension with their front legs
• Natural collection

These characteristics are specific to western performance horses. You can check out the horse in action while watching this training video…

You can watch more helpful videos from Larry on his YouTube channel: Larry Trocha Horse Training.