Water is the most important nutrient in the feeding spectrum. Many people do not regard water as a nutrient, although it does contain some minerals.

A horse's body is around 70 per cent water, so he is more water than anything else. When you consider that in hot weather a working horse - or even one just standing sweating in a hot, muggy stable - can need around 50 litres (13 gallons) of water in one day, its importance is clear.

What makes a farrier?

Farriers, whether they realize it or not, are a regular topic of conversation among horse owners, for better and for worse!

For most owners it is clearly impossible to keep a horse going without their services, but some find it very hard indeed to establish a happy relationship.

A farrier's job is hard, risky, difficult and dirty - and above all, skilful.

Farriers are out in all weathers and almost always on a tight schedule. As well as a busy routine work schedule, they will often have emergencies to attend to, they can be ill, they like a holiday now and then and, unless they have a 'static' forge, their van can break down and cause problems. 

There are innumerable bits of different design on the market today

In the last twenty years traditional bits, both common and obscure, have been added to, with newer designs, theories, ranges, and whole, often complex, bitting systems. How do you know which is best for your particular horse?

Saddles are made for several different jobs and a good one will be balanced accordingly.

If you want to jump seriously high fences then it's no good using a dressage saddle, or using a show saddle if you want to do endurance rides.

Understanding how a saddle functions, sandwiched between your horse and yourself, is a great help.

We all know how tricky it can be to choose the right feed for our horse.

Puzzling over the analysis panel or feed label that gives the amounts of the ingredients contained may not be much help if you have no scientific, and specifically equine scientific, knowledge.