.:EQUUS:.

So there were some women being shown around the stables today.  They were from Racing Victoria and Racing Tasmania.  A couple of weeks ago we had two new staff start at the stables and one is keen to do track work.  Through these women, it was determined that in January, Racing Victoria is holding a track riders camp, where he may be able to be assessed and given the correct licensing to be able to legally ride track work in Australia.

For those keen on the idea of pursuing a career riding racehorses, Pony Club or a riding school can be a great place to start at a young age.  Racing Victoria offers a Cert III in Racing (Track work), which would be worth pursuing for those in their teens or higher.

• Further information on the training package can be found at http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/RGR30108
• Also check out http://www.racingvictoria.net.au/p_Track_Riders.aspx

“It is easier to attach reins to a freight train and practice pulling to a halt than it is to slow down some of our horses.”

So one of my students is actually undertaking an equine course to gain a qualification to attract clients.  What does she do?  Look after people’s horses for them whilst they’re away on holidays - what a great idea!

At this point I only have one horse, and that is enough to worry about when I’m heading overseas!  To know that there is someone who can come into the property and deal with rugging and unrugging, checking waters, feeding and turning out horses and mucking out would be great!

Of course, there are places where perhaps you could send your horses and have them looked after.  But to have someone come to me, that’d be something I’d be up for!  I haven’t grilled this person for information, but thought it unique and another worth mentioning.

“If anybody expects to calm a horse down by tiring him out with riding swiftly and far, his supposition is the reverse of the truth.” - Xenophon

So one of the women at work forwarded this information onto me and I thought it worth sharing… note the deadline is only 8 days away though!

ABARES is encouraging people to apply for the 2012 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with applications closing 18 November.

There are 12 individual categories, with each offering up to $22,000 for project funding.The awards are open to young people aged 18-35 who have an innovative project that will benefit Australia’s agriculture, fisheries, forestry, food and natural resource management sectors.

Grant recipients can use their funding for a range of activities including research projects, industry visits or to attend conferences and workshops that will support their project. The awards aim to encourage science, innovation and technology in rural industries and help to advance the careers of young scientists through national recognition of their research ideas.

The 2012 Science and Innovation Awards are supported by: the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Australian Pork Limited; Australian Meat Processor Corporation; Cotton Research and Development Corporation; Dairy Australia; Fisheries Research and Development Corporation; Forest and Wood Products Australia; Grains Research and Development Corporation; Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation; Horticulture Australia; Meat and Livestock Australia; and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

For further information: http://www.daff.gov.au/brs/science-awards

October 16th, 2011 marks yet another Blog Action Day.  This year’s topic is food.  What a fitting topic for horses!

It seems to me that when horse owners fall on hard times financially, the cost of keeping horses becomes increasingly difficult.  This seems to be especially so with regards to the need to purchase feed.  Another time when this becomes difficult and expensive is in a drought.

When considering horse feeds, a few things could be considered by property owners to make things less difficult:

• invest in pastures that have a variety of species that have growth periods at different times of the year - this allows horses to consistently be on pasture whilst at the same time protecting paddocks from bare patches, erosion and other issues that can occur when pasture is lacking
• invest in trees in laneways that alongside providing shade, will be a great fodder source - the lucerne tree is a great example of this
• purchase in bulk - when feed is cheap, if storage is available, purchasing in bulk can be cost effective as well as guarantee the horse owner of having something stored away when drought or other issues restrict the possibility of acquiring feed

Horses are always going to consume food and as an animal that grazes 12 - 20 hours a day, the horse owner should be aware of ways to best ensure that their horses have access to food.

tag: blog action day, food and horses, greater cause

A colleague placed a flyer on my desk yesterday outlining a workshop that I felt was of interest and worth sharing.

Head, Heart, Horse
Aimed at horse owners who would like to improve their understanding horse/human dynamics.  A 2.5 hour workshop for $30, it is being held on October the 22nd.  Check out the Grey Horse Learning website.

Can’t make this date?  Don’t worry - there will be more scheduled in the future!

“Horse person’s glossary - Pinto: Green coat pattern found on a freshly washed grey horse left unattended in the stall for 10 minutes.”

Tag: equine therapy, riding for the disabled