Vancouver Pony Club
7025 Macdonald Street V6N 1G2 Vancouver, BC, Canada

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VPC members Lori and Berkeley with their ponies Juniper and Bluebird. Welcome to this amazing community Bluebird.

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Prepping for Stable Management sessions, starting next week! Check your email for the class schedule. Welcome to Pony Club 2020/21!

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C Level testing is complete! Thank you to SRC, the examiners and parent volunteers. Well done all!

Good luck to all the members doing their C Level testing today!Good luck to all the members doing their C Level testing today!

Featuring Vancouver Pony Club’s very dedicated, District Commissioner, Laura Stemo and her constant companion Jimmy.

EATING THE FENCES? Wood is not a natural component of a horse's diet. Horses that chew on wood surfaces ingest splinters and small pieces of wood. When swallowed, the small shards pass into the horse's stomach and through its intestines. A common habit that horses develop to ease their boredom and frustration is chewing on their wood stalls or other wood in their enclosures. To curb this bad habit, try various paddock toys and stimulating activities. There are several types of spray or paint on products that can be applied to the wood that will deter the horse with a bad taste.

BEET PULP: The main role of beet pulp in a horse’s diet is fibre, but the fibre is not the same as the fibre in hay. It’s much more easily digested, so it’s processed faster. We don’t think of fibre as providing much energy, but in horses it’s a significant source. Fibre in beet pulp is digested quickly and the energy it provides are available to a horse much faster than from hay. Beet pulp a useful source of energy for horses who need a boost for athletic efforts or to suppo...rt other functions, such as lactation. And in cases where horses need more calories, adding beet pulp to a diet may be a better option than adding more hay because of the difference in fibre type. Beet pulp is often a good choice for older horses who have trouble chewing or digesting hay. Beet pulp also promotes healthy gut flora. Plain beet pulp is very, very low in sugar. If you pop some in your mouth expecting it to be, you’re going to be disappointed! It’s pretty boring and tasteless. In part, beet pulp’s unearned reputation as a high-sugar feed comes from its origins - a byproduct of the sugar industry. By the time it makes it to the feed store, all the sugar has been extracted. The two forms of beet pulp are shredded (available with or without molasses) and pelleted (typically containing a small amount of molasses to help bind the particles). Both forms are safe for horses, but the shreds tend to soak up water faster.

GOT BURRS?! The easiest way to break up a mat of burrs is by dowsing the area with a detangler or baby/mineral oil. This is an especially useful grooming tip for addressing the mane and tail areas. Let the oil or detangler sit for a bit to soften the burrs before you start pulling. This is Mayfair on day 1 in a natural grazing field. Perhaps a nice shower cap?!

SHOEING, WHAT’S THAT SMELL? The odor produced when hot shoeing is the smell of sulfur gas from burning the sulfur-rich connective tissue proteins of the hoof. The heat from the shoe kills bacteria and ensures a perfectly smooth surface for the shoe.

CUSTOM FIT SHOES: Once the right size and type of shoe has been chosen, it will be shaped exactly to fit the horse’s hoof by heating and molding. Farriers are very skilled blacksmiths and must attend farrier school for 2 years, including an apprenticeship.

WHO CAN SAY NO TO A PEDICURE? Once the old shoe has been removed, the frog and sole are trimmed and cleaned up to ensure an even, balanced surface. Here, Stephanie is clipping the hoof wall and will then file the edges to ensure a clean edge before the shoe is nailed on.

SHOES...OUT WITH THE OLD: Horses wear down their shoes at different rates depending on their riding surface and hoof growth, however the average time between re-shoeing is about 6-8 weeks. Here, Stephanie is prying off the rear shoe and will then prep the hoof for a new pair. Thank you Mayfair for standing so still!

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A NEW PAIR OF SHOES? Let’s talk about horse shoes this week, with the help of Stephanie Waterhouse Farrier Services! Did you know that there are dozens of different types and sizes of nails used in shoeing a horse? The nails are slightly beveled on one side of the tip, so when it is hammered in to the hoof wall, it curves outward and the excess tip is clipped off. ... The nail holes left behind in the hoof wall after removing a shoe quickly grow down, thereby filling the existing hole.

D level testing complete! Well done all. Thank you examiners, VPC parent volunteers, Shannon Stables for hosting us, and of course all the wonderful ponies for working hard as always.

Good luck to all the members who are testing this weekend! Too bad horses don’t like umbrellas Good luck to all the members who are testing this weekend! Too bad horses don’t like umbrellas

EQUINE ASTHMA: Most evidence suggests that equine asthma results from hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens in the horse's lungssimilar to what occurs in human asthmatics. Stables are full of tiny particulates that can infiltrate the equine respiratory system. Culprits include ammonia from urine; mold and fungi from hay, straw, sawdust, and shavings; dust from indoor arenas, rain, hay, and bedding; endotoxins from manure; and dander and hair from stablemates and companion an...imals. A healthy horse at rest takes 10 to 14 breaths per minute, inhaling upwards of 150 liters of air in that time. But a horse diagnosed with asthma, just like his human counterpart, coughs, wheezes, and struggles to breathe. Airway inflammation and mucus accumulation associated with this condition make efficient performance nearly impossible for these horses. While a diagnosis of equine asthma can be stressful, there are many ways horse owners can help their animals, especially through management and environmental changes.