Ocala Horse Shows

Ocala Horse Shows welcomes you to equestrian paradise and the finest schedule of Ocala horse shows. Ocala is equestrian country in every sense of the word. Here, many of the nations top equestrian horse breeders perfect their craft, producing thoroughbred race horses as well as virtually every other breed of horse. Ocala horse farms create stunning vistas of endless green grass accented by black horse fencing and majestic oak trees. A visit to a one of the several Ocala horse farms open to the public is a must.

Florida Horse Park, an attraction in itself, is the center of horse shows for North Central Florida. Skilled jumpers or disciplined dressage riders compete for ribbons almost every weekend.

Winter months bring professional riders to the famous Ocala Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) circuit has been performing at Hits Post Time Farm from mid January to mid March for over 30 years. The Ocala horse area includes Marion, Alachua, Levy, Suwannee, Sumter counties.

Staying in the Ocala area? Visit Travel Ocala for complete hotel, car rental and attraction reservations.

May 30, 2012
Rider: Help! How Can I Get My Confidence Back After a Bad Fall? - I often get
by Amy Herdy
I often get requests for specific topics to cover about riding or horse care, and this one from a woman who was hospitalized after a bad fall and needs help getting her confidence back really touched me.

Reader question: My question is – can you do a feature about getting back in the saddle after a major fall? You may have done this, but I have been unable to find a reference.

I had a major fall that resulted in a hospital stay and a break from riding for some time. I have ridden since, but it is just not the same. I used to excel at training young horses and doing the first rides never used to be a problem, until my riding accident.

I know I have fear, but it is getting past this that I can’t seem to manage. I have read various books and articles on the subject of fear when riding but I found them to be extremely vague on the “how to” of getting past the issue of fear itself. More info...

May 30, 2012
Keeping Hens and HorsesActually, keeping chickens along with horses is a time honored tradition that certainly can be manageable, and even beneficial for you (and your horse)!

Chickens are opportunists. When a pellet or kernel falls, they’ll be there to pick it up. This saves your horse from mouthing around on the ground to find bits of feed (a practice that can lead to ingestion of dirt and sand) and it reduces the amount of feed that is wasted.
Chickens are good horse trainers. A horse that has had exposure to poultry won’t “have his feathers ruffled” by sudden movements, loud noises, or the occasional appearance of an egg…
Chickens help prepare your horse for the trail. If you plan to take trail rides where wild turkeys, partridge, chuckar, etc. populate it can be beneficial to have your horse used to the patterns and noises of fowl by keeping a few chickens around. A little exposure to flapping, squawking and scurrying can go a long way to desensitizing your horse to those types of events out on the trail.
Chickens are nature’s fly traps. You and your horse hate bugs – but chickens love them. Chickens eat flies, worms, grubs, bees; if they can catch it they’ll nibble on it, which means it won’t be nibbling on you or your horse. More info...

May 28, 2012
Study Identifies Causes for Misbehavior in Pony Club Mounts
by: Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc
Poorly behaved or nappy horses are no laughing matter, and in some cases, the causes of the delinquency remains unknown. But a team of Australia-based researchers recently completed a study that identified some risk factors for bad behavior in a population of Pony Club horses.

"Misbehavior, defined as unwelcome behavior exhibited by a horse when being handles or ridden, is important not only because it reduces rider enjoyment, but because it is a serious threat to rider safety--especially children--and contributes to horse wastage in the form of sale, retirement, or euthanasia," explained Petra Buckley, BVSc, DipVetClinStud, MVetClinStud, MACVSc, PhD, from the School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. More info...

May 25, 2012
10:45 AM How do you keep your horse cool in the summer? Here are some great tips to
By Barb Crabbe, DVM
It's getting into the hottest days of summer. Here's a quick reference that'll help you know when your horse is overheated--and what to do to help him chill.

To help cool a hot horse, remove his tack and douse him with water.
Photo by Alana Harrison
It's as hot as a tin roof, and you've got a day-long trail ride ahead. How can you tell if your horse gets too hot? In the July 2006 issue of Horse & Rider magazine we shared warning signs you should never ignore.

We'll add to that list with these six heat-stress signposts you should never ignore, and offer tips for cooling your horse quickly. More info...