HEALTH & EDUCATION

Health & Education

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

The Fédération Equestre Internationale came to film in Iceland in the summer of 2018, around the Landsmót in Reykjavík. This first part introduces the Icelandic horse and its community.

Jody Taylor discusses the use and application of both Polo and Standing Wraps. He will also show the importance of how and when to use them. This educational video is brought to you by the Certified Horsemanship Association.

Tammi Gainer will show you a safe and efficient method of blanketing the horse and the proper adjustment of the blanket. This educational video is brought to you by the Certified Horsemanship Association.

Julie Goodnight demonstrates the care and cleaning of English and Western riding boots. This is a educational and safety video brought to you by the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA)

Christy Landwehr demonstrates creative and practical ways to improve the riders position through exercises on horseback. This educational video brought to you by the Certified Horsemanship Association.

The statistics are gripping. Equestrian-related injuries account for 70,000 emergency room visits yearly, with 12,000 of those being head injuries. Equestrians across the country, and across disciplines, are sharing their harrowing close calls and their reasons behind wearing riding helmets.

Leslie (Barrel racer)

I ride in a Troxel. I remember being in OKC at the Better Barrel Racing Finals and just decided it was time to wear one. It was before the helmet fad started. When I pulled up, they had 1,500 entries. I went right to the stockyards, bought a helmet and brought it back. That weekend, two girls hit the wall. One girl went to the hospital. Then six months later, my horse went front end over end. I ended up underneath of him. Two hooves scrapped by the helmet, and I stood up with no injuries. I was totally lucky and thankful I had the feeling I needed a helmet before that happened. I always ride in a helmet. Thank God I wore it before; a lot of people wear a helmet after an accident. Trendy or not, it’s smart.

Sonja (Jumper)

One day, we were riding around the outdoor arena, and out of nowhere, my horse Luna tripped, and then tripped a second time. I prepared myself mentally for the inevitable fall that was coming. As I felt her body fall out from underneath me, I hit the ground face down, and the next thing I knew she was rolling over top of me. I will never be able to get the sound of my helmet crunching as she continued to roll over me and then away from me. I was, and am, so lucky for both her and me to walk away from our worst fall/crash basically unscathed. It was in those heart-stopping moments as she tripped, fell down and my helmet crunched under her body weight that I realized just how appreciative I was of all the trainers and people along my way that preached to me that I must ALWAYS wear a helmet.

Anne Marie (Jumper)

I had a horse fall on my head in November and didn’t even get a concussion. My helmet was smashed in three places, but besides bruising and swelling, I walked into the ER with no concussion and never blacked out. The doctors were so impressed with the helmet!

Tina (Barrel racer)

The main reason I wear a helmet is because I had three friends who within just one summer, all had head injuries from horseback riding. It was then I thought to myself, "OK, it might be time to start wearing a helmet." I’m an older rider, and I’m the first to know that I don’t ride as well as I once did. All three of my friends who had head injuries are now wearing helmets. It’s been about two years since we were at a barrel race, and it was misting. I was warming up, and my horse drifted off the dry ground to grass, taking a bad fall. I had my helmet on, and I broke my ankle. The helmet was covered in mud; I obviously hit my head. I hate to think, "What if I hadn’t been wearing my helmet?"

Chakara (Trail rider)

I wear a helmet because life is too short not to. A close friend of mine spent all of her life on working ranches, riding anything and everything. She made a living training horses and working as a ranch hand, being considered one of the guys. Until one day, that all changed. She was moving a bull on a horse she trusted, something they had done many times before. But that day was different. The bull didn't want to move and ended up throwing her horse and her with it. After a lengthy hospital stay and having to learn basic motor functions all over again, she now wears a helmet. And that is why I do, too.

Riders can help avoid grave risk by wearing an ASTM/SEI approved helmet. With an extensive selection of riding helmets available, equestrians can have peace of mind knowing they are protected.

Editor's note: A college friend is a doctor in one of the busiest emergency rooms in the country. The first thing he asked was if we rode with a helmet. He explained the number of serious head injuries, and even death, could have been avoided by riders wearing helmets.

This article originally appeared on Valley Vet and is published here with permission. Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians for people just like you - people who want the very best for their four-legged friends and livestock.

All photos courtesy of Valley Vet.

There are more informative articles in our section on Health & Education.

Monty Roberts welcomes a group of combat veterans to his ranch for a weekend of his renowned program Horse Sense & Healing. The film follows three veterans as they experience their first Join-Up® with a horse and begin to build back a sense of trust and a reduction in anxiety.

Join-Up is that moment when a horse (a flight animal) decides it can follow a person because they use a body language that Monty learned from the wild mustangs in Nevada.

Monty believes that Post Traumatic Stress is an injury, not a disorder (PTSI not PTSD).

On Monty's 88th birthday, Monty and Pat Roberts celebrate by cutting cattle on their quarter horses, Chrome and Blackie. In this full length version, Monty talks about his career and his philosophy before demonstrating the cutting moves so familiar to himself and Chrome.

Ken Najorka will demonstrate proper and effective Riding Position in both English and Western seats. This is a educational and safety video brought to you by the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse.