Virginia Riding Academy

Camp is coming to Oakleaf Farm this summer. Go to Rideoakleaf.com for more details.

rideoakleaf.com Rideoakleaf.com

We've moved to Oakleaf Farm! So please like our new page!

Hehehe! :)

Katherine Dinan (USA) and Nougat du Vallet finished ninth in the opening leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Gothenburg (SWE) from 25-28 April.Credit: FEI/Arnd Bronkhorst

Understanding the Color of a Ribbon:
There are four colors of ribbon that you might see on a horse's tail: red, green, blue and white. Each color has its own meaning.

Red ribbons signify that a horse is a kicker. This means that any other riders should be careful not to crowd the horse, especially from behind. This is the most common color of tail ribbon and thus is the best understood. Often people choose to use a red ribbon if a horse is green or inexperienced because other riders are more likely to understand the meaning.

A green ribbon means that a horse is inexperienced and likely to misbehave. This is suitable for young horses or for horses who are particularly spooky in nature. If you see a horse with a green ribbon in his tail, approach him with caution. Give him space when riding near him, and be sure to keep an eye on him when in the ring. A green horse may spook or otherwise misbehave in unexpected ways.

A blue ribbon says that this horse is a stallion. Because stallions should only be handled by adults, and can be unpredictable at times, stallion owners will sometimes use a blue ribbon in his tail to warn off other riders. This is particularly important if you have a mare. It is unfair to a stallion's rider to ride your mare too close to a stallion in the ring, especially if she is in season. The stallion can be the best behaved boy out there, but having an in season mare close by will distract him. In the worst case scenario, you could cause a serious accident by bringing your mare too close to a stallion. Caution is always sensible when seeing a horse with a blue ribbon in his tail.

White ribbons signify that a horse is for sale. Because it can be difficult to successfully advertise at a show, using a white ribbon is an excellent way to show that your horse is for sale. That way prospective buyers can see him perform in the ring, and know that they can approach you after the class if they are interested.

Next time Bandit bites you, keep that in mind.

Good to Know !!

Teeth ...
- The teeth take up more room in a horse's head than its brain does!! : ))
- Horses are both heterodontous and diphyodontous, meaning their teeth have multiple shapes (5 shapes total) and come in two sets (baby and permanent teeth)
- Horses have between 36 and 44 teeth
- Incisors, premolars and molars continuously erupt
- A horse's teeth are made of different degrees of hardness. This insures that the tooth will remain serrated and does not become worn smooth.
- A horse chews in a circular motion
- A horse is born with all the tooth he will ever have and that the teeth are meant to wear away. Unlike our teeth, a horse’s teeth do not contain nerve roots all the way, so filing the teeth causes no pain.The pulp contains the nerves.

Photo by Science Photo Library

Would you do this to your horse's hooves?

A second clever use for your old Halters...

Gini

Had a really good laugh at this one this morning! hahaha! Thanks The Idea of Order