Dr Kendra Coulter, Professor of Labor Studies at Brock University, reported on her recently released study on horse farm employers and employees in Ontario, showing that 50% of stable workers reported earning minimum wage or less and almost half of the workers are improperly classified as independent contractors, and are thus are not protected by the Employee Standards Act.

Introducing the bit is traditionally one of the most important training procedures in a young horse’s life. The majority of our performance horses are ‘bitted,’ so this process forms a key part of the foundation training for many horses. Investigating procedures to optimize this introduction could lead to benefits in performance and, in some instances, improvements in welfare.

Horses sometimes lick and chew during training and this has often been interpreted as a sign that the horse is learning or showing ‘submission’ to the trainer. However, a new study suggests that this non-nutritive licking and chewing behavior is a natural behavior that is shown after a stressful situation.

The old saying “no hoof, no horse” still holds true. No matter what your horse’s job is, his feet provide the foundation for soundness and performance.