Your Equine Valentine

It is that time of the year where love is in the air.

Is there any better time of the year to spend some time and energy to show your horse love? We wanted to share some important tips for keeping your horse stress-free and emotionally healthy. First of all, you should always be on the lookout for a stress response in your horse in the face of unexpected changes. These might include training, a new birth, bad weather or the introduction of other animals at the barn.

What are the signs of stress you should be looking for?

Weight loss Stall walking Yawning Tooth grinding Bad behavior Colic Trembling

Don't worry. Your horse should be pretty easy to read.

If there is something wrong, your next step is to make sure your horse is getting everything they need. Just like people, you can't completely control everything that stresses your horse, but you can help them cope better and reduce unnecessary stressors. One thing that really helps a horse is to have a companion. Every horse needs to be included in a herd of some kind. For example, a mini-donkey, a goat, a cat or even something as small as chicken. Horses are acutely aware of a stimuli that can make them feel unsafe, so allowing them to have access to the outdoors at all times can help as well. Keeping them stalled can cause stress. Just like humans, having access to sunshine, as well as, space to exercise is crucial to mental health and well being. You can also show your equine valentine love by considering "gifts" like massage, squeeze therapy and other methods based on touch. Keeping a good eye on diet and exercise seems like such a simple, known fact but doing it with purpose can really keep your horse incredibly happy. The most important thing to remember is to try different methods and watch how your horse responds. With a effort and a little TLC, you can calm your equine valentine!

Check out these ideas for making this Valentine's Day epic for your horse......

Benefab Therapeutic Poll Pad What Lucas had to say: "I have a horse with severe TMJ. He benefited from the poll pad when used on his poll, but I got the most benefit from putting two of these pads on either side of the bridle when schooling- It made a massive difference and he licks and chews when the bridle goes on now and is much softer altogether." Benefab Therapeutic Hock Boot What Emily had to say: "I was impressed with how well the hock boot worked! The boot stayed perfectly in place on my draft cross. I saw immense improvement in the damaged tendons in my horse’s hock." Benefab Rejuvenate SmartScrim What Kylie had to say: "My mare has had ongoing soreness issues along her topline for a long time now. Just recently started chiropractor and massage visits for her, along the Rejuvenate ScrimSheet she is progressing great! The sheet is a added bonus for her to help aid in her body adjusting to alignments. She is so relaxed when wearing the products. Next purchase will be the western saddle pad!"