Blog : Equus Education

The Hay Pillow: Slow Feed Hay Bags and Nets

March 16, 2018 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Whilst reading through some material at work I saw a reference to the hay pillow for feeding horses. There was a comment about them being good tools to feed horses hay on the ground. They were of appeal because they encouraged horses to consume their food slowly.

A quick search online brought up the hay pillow website. The products on this site are referenced as ‘innovative slow feed hay bags and nets’. Because of the way the horse’s digestive system is built, it’s important that they’re consistently feeding. Little and often. This doesn’t happen with horses that consume their feed quickly. Using a hay pillow encourages slow eating. The ‘pillow’ is a container of sorts that is able to be placed on the ground; it has small holes in it to encourage the horse to search out hay through the holes.

The added bonus with the hay pillow on top of slow feeding is that it can be put on the ground. Horses consume food best with their heads down – this allows for drainage of their nasal passages. Hay nets and bags hung up don’t tend to afford this possibility as the horse eats.

The Hay Pillow

As it says on their site, hay pillows are unique as they are:

Only slow-feed hay bag designed for ground feeding.
Easy to fill & transport. Place in multiple locations to encourage movement.
5 mesh sizes
Netting is made & mounted on the square so the opening size stays consistent regardless of how full the bag is
Interchangeable netting panels to change mesh size
Less wasted hay with solid-back, durable design
No more cheating – closures only allow access to hay via netting
Machine washable

The hay pillow is an interesting idea for a horse product. It is a great example of a product that aids in horse management, particularly with regard to their nutrition. This is especially important if horses are stabled or yarded and limited food is on offer. It allows them to eat more naturally and take longer to consume the available food. This will keep things moving through the digestive system and decrease idle time that can lead to boredom and welfare issues.

ISES Conference in Rome, September 2018

March 14, 2018 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Some of you will be familiar with the International Society for Equitation Science. Equus Education did a post previously about their 2017 ISES Conference in November in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The location for the 2018 conference is in Rome, Italy.

ISES Conference in Rome in 2018 | Equus Education

The theme for the 2018 ISES conference is equine welfare: good training, good feeding, good housing, good mental state, good health, good behaviour. The conference is to be run from September 21 – 24. As it stated on the media release:

“The conference offers a forum for discussion of traditional and progressive practices along with contemporary research findings with practitioners (horse-trainers, instructors/coaches & riders), equine studies students, researchers, academics and policy makers involved in Equitation Science, to develop and to promote approaches to horse training and husbandry that ensure that horses are managed in the most ethical and sustainable way possible.

The 3-day program format includes two full days of plenaries, submitted research reports for spoken and poster presentation, and another full day of practical demonstrations with discussion facilitated by internationally respected experts in equine behaviour and welfare research, education, and clinical practice.”

Some key dates to make note of include:

early bird registration ends July 30, 2018
late registration closes September 18, 2018

So why would equitation science be of interest to you? ISES is a non profit organisation. They aim to aid research relating to horse welfare and training horses as well as improving the horse-rider relationship. In an age where welfare is growing in importance, as a horse owner, carer or business it’s important to stay up to speed on methods and tools available to aid in training and welfare. Conferences can be a great way to develop contacts, learn new things and even promote yourself in the equine industry.

“When I hear somebody talk about a horse or cow being stupid; I figure it’s a sure sign that the animal has somehow outfoxed them.” ― Tom Dorrance

Sea Ponies by L.B. Shively

March 12, 2018 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

L.B. Shively has put together an imaginative short story for younger readers in Sea Ponies. Young Olivia visits with her Grandmother Harriet who lives close to the seas. When the two are alone, her grandmother says she has a surprise for her. Olivia is curious and follows her to the ocean.

Sea Ponies by L.B. Shively | Equus Education

They spend such a long time out in the cold that Olivia questions just what they’re waiting for. And then she sees them: ponies coming up out of the sea. A mixture of greys, bays, browns, speckled ponies and roans. There are even colours Olivia cannot name.

Olivia is so taken with the secret that her grandmother has shared with her, that she is eager to spend all of her time with the ponies. She sneaks down to the beach alone and is delighted to find them again. As soon as they are aware of her presence, the ponies run away. Olivia is greatly disappointed.

A talk with her grandmother later informs Olivia that they aren’t always about. It’s a question of patience – and also luck. Olivia meets with them one last time in the story and is delighted when she finds herself amongst a circle of ponies. One grey in particular nuzzles her hand and encourages her to climb astride. Needing no further encouragement, the young girl hops on its back and has the ride of her life.

The secret of the Sea Ponies is one she will no doubt remember and carry with her through her life. This story is delightfully imaginative and sure to capture the attention of young readers who love horses.

Author – L.B. Shively
Fiction – children’s
In my library – as an eBook it is.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“Horses make a landscape look beautiful.” ― Alice Walker

The Certified Horsemanship Association

March 9, 2018 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

I recently saw reference to the Certified Horsemanship Association and thought I’d better check it out. Based in Lexington, Kentucky this horse association is promoted for the benefit of horse riding instructors, horse riders, horse enthusiasts and equine managers.

The Certified Horsemanship Association | Equus Education

For those who are already members, there are educational grants on offer. It states on their site that the CHA mission statement is:

“To promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the entire horse industry. This is accomplished by certifying instructors, accrediting equine facilities, producing educational conferences and publishing educational resources such as horsemanship manuals, DVDs, safety video shorts, webinars, a monthly radio show, weekly blog, posters and much more.”

As a non-profit organisation, anyone can provide tax deductible donations. This may be of appeal to those already investing in the equine industry.

Check out this CHA short video:

Perhaps you’re interested in getting accredited. Then you can take a look at the certifications on offer. There are certifications for instructors, trail guides, a combination of the two and also college level certifications. And if you want to combine working with horses and with people who have disabilities, certification is possible for this, too.

For those who are managers of equine facilities or who focus on the area of driving horses, they can gain CHA certification, too. There’s a variety of different certifications on offer to equine enthusiasts.

There’s an outline of what minimum requirements need to be met and what you can anticipate in a certification process. I love to see when any industry is promoting continued education and best practices. It looks like the Certified Horsemanship Association is one such setup that promotes this.

“Fascination with horses predated every other single thing I knew. Before I was a mother, before I was a writer, before I knew the facts of life, before I was a schoolgirl, before I learned to read, I wanted a horse.” ― Jane Smiley

A Roving Equine Volunteer Setup

March 7, 2018 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

I recently found out about a retired husband and wife couple who drive around Australia and support churches as they’re able to. They stop in for a short period and help with church services and tending to the congregation’s needs. They use their passions and skills to help churches that are between pastors or need help in other ways. And I got to thinking, why not an equine volunteer setup that does something similar?

A Roving Equine Volunteer Setup | Equus Education

Retired and with a caravan, these people can come and go as they please. They are currently helping out 2 days a week at my local church. They then use the other 5 days to explore the area. Perhaps the equine volunteer work would run differently. Maybe similar to tasks in the Farm Army, volunteers could make themselves available for the length of a project – like a yearling sale preparation or fencing a paddock. In return for their labour, they are maybe provided with food and accommodation. They get to build on their resume whilst offering their skills and energy. And just maybe, they get to travel the state or country whilst doing so.

I would love to check out different horse properties this way! I am sure as with many horse related activities, a waiver of sorts would need to be signed. This would be prior to commencement of work. But how wonderful would it be if such an equine volunteer program existed? As a struggling or newly establishing horse business or property, you could put in a request for a volunteer/s and outline the work that would be needed. Then for a set period of time you have some hands to help out with a horse related project!

“But what truly horsey girls discover in the end is that boyfriends, husbands, children, and careers are the substitute – for horses.” ― Jane Smiley

The Hay Pillow: Slow Feed Hay Bags and Nets

The Hay Pillow

ISES Conference in Rome, September 2018

Sea Ponies by L.B. Shively

The Certified Horsemanship Association

A Roving Equine Volunteer Setup

Equus Education Store at TeachersPayTeachers

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