"Spidey" is looking for a new home through the A Home For Every Horse program, sponsored by our publisher, the AIM Equine Network.

His real name is Outquest, and he’s a registered Thoroughbred. Five years old. The rescue group in Maryland says he’s 16.1 hands and black (he’s actually dark bay or brown, as you can see).  But he doesn’t have any known problems or vices. He simply doesn’t want to be a racehorse! He’s super smart and kind. If you’re interested, don’t waste time. This guy won’t last in the rescue facility long! Learn more about Spidey.

If you’re wondering, the A Home For Every Horse Program is a great success.  Visit it at http://www.equine.com/ and click on the “Rescue horses” tab.

Horse Journal Editor-in-Chief Cindy Foley with her mare, Sally.

Because our subscription offer last winter was such a huge success, we’re once again offering a free digital download and special subscription rate for free!

To get your free download of the May 2012 issue, sign up for our monthly newsletter featuring in-depth product reviews and practical solutions that you can take straight to the barn.

Click here to sign up & get your FREE May 2012 issue! »

The May 2012 issue includes three-day event rider, trainer and award-winning journalist John Strassburger’s honest evaluation of the pros and cons of the new, controversial Air Vests.

We want you to experience Horse Journal yourself and, in appreciation for giving us a try, we are packaging it with a limited-time special subscription price. Once you subscribe, you get access to all our back issues through our website, www.horse-journal.com, at no additional cost.

Many people remember us as “Michael Plumb’s Horse Journal,” as we launched our first issue in February 1994. Since those early days, we’ve grown and evolved, becoming stronger with more focused articles and reaching a much wider audience. But we never lost sight of our mission: to offer straightforward articles filled with economical, practical horse-care and buying advice.

One of the comments we’ve heard about Horse Journal is that the cost of a subscription can be saved with one purchase. That’s because our honest product evaluations aren’t influenced by advertisers. We’re fully subscriber supported. And we save you time, money and aggravation.

Our readers have embraced our Contributing Veterinary Editors—Dr. Grant Miller and Dr. Deb Eldredge, an award-winning veterinary writer—and raved about their hands-on, informative health-care articles, as well as the advice in our popular Ask Horse Journal section. You will, too!

Please accept this invitation from me and our Associate Editor, Margaret Freeman, an FEI-level dressage competitor and S-level dressage judge, and peruse our issue.  If you decide it’s worth a $20/year investment to you, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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It's such a simple concept. What took us so long to figure it out?

Radios are useful tools at horse shows where the warm-up ring is lined with trainers all attempting to coach individual riders in the swirling crowd.  The rider doesn’t have to try to pick out his own trainer’s voice or wait for the few seconds that he passes that section of the rail.  The trainer doesn’t have to get hoarse from shouting instructions across the ring.

Trainers who teach all day can also benefit using radios, since they can stay in one place and still be heard without shouting.  But even if you’re teaching two lessons a day or taking one lesson a week, you’ll appreciate a wireless radio since it’s simply easier to hear.  We found both coaches and riders were more relaxed when using a wireless radio.

HOW THEY WORK. Different types of radios suit different needs. Wireless radios that are useful for equestrians can be one-way (the coach talks and the rider listens but can’t talk back) or two-way (the coach and rider can talk to each other). Two-way radios work either alternately, like a walkie-talkie, or simultaneously, like a phone.

The technology depends on whether the radio uses one frequency or two.  One-way radios and two-way radios that alternate the transmission (you need to say “over”) use a single frequency, called “simplex.” Radios that are voice-activated (VOX) and click on with a brief time delay when they detect sound are also on a single frequency. Two-way radios that transmit simultaneously (like a phone) use two frequencies, called “full-duplex.”

A voice-activated radio can raise the frustration level of a rider. There’s a time delay between when you start to speak and then actually start to transmit. Ambient noise such as wind or clothes rustling against the unit can activate it.

Walkie-talkies are occasionally seen hooked on boots. They’re inexpensive, starting below $50, can be long-range and last 40 hours on a set of batteries.  However, the talk button usually has to be held down by the coach to transmit, which makes them awkward to use for any long period.

Pebbles is looking for a home (and it doesn't have to be in Bedrock).

Take a good look at this 14-hand 12-year-old Appy pony mare. Flashy, isn’t she? Now picture her with a little more training, so she’s round and engaged. Thinking hunter pony? Me, too. She’s said to be quiet and great with kids. She loves being bathed, groomed and played with. Best of all, she’s quiet! (Did I already say that?) Can you give her a good home for $1250? She’s part of our parent company’s “A Home For Every Horse Program.” Go to http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-1981781.html to see her. There are several more photos.

Black Jack is 3 years old.

Black Jack is 3 years old and little (10.1 hands). He’s cute and moves nicely (fancy little trot!) and might be great for driving. He needs someone to love him and help him overcome his somewhat timid nature.
Check out the video of him! He’s part of the Horse Journal’s parent company the AIM Equine Network’s A Home For Every Horse. Find out more about Black Jack.

Fly parasites are tiny (this fly is on a penny).

Although a fly’s actual life span is short, no more than a month, their prolific breeding makes their presence seem endless. The biting stable fly may lay 10 to 12 batches of 40 to 80 eggs during her short lifetime. We’re willing to try almost anything to get some relief for our horses from the biting pests, and those of us who have tried fly parasites are convinced they are the best method.

Of course, good manure management is crucial to fly control, but many other factors are involved in controlling the reproduction of these winged monsters. In fact, it’s not just manure.

A study at Texas A&M demonstrated that a million biting stable flies could develop in the residue of one round bale of hay.  Other guilty locations are lawn clippings, moist compost, mulch and gardens. Standing water is great for breeding mosquitoes, as you know. But you may not have been aware that horse- and deer-fly larvae favor shallow water and wet ground, too. That mud hole by the water trough might be nearly perfect for them.

FIELD TRIAL. Last summer, a group of our testers, all living in the same general area in New York, decided to conduct their own field trial using Fly Predators, a specific brand of fly parasites from Spalding Labs (www.spalding-labs.com, 800-706-3116). We found the results so interesting that we wanted to share it with our readers, despite it not being a head-to-head comparison of fly parasites.

Several farms used Fly Predators to control nuisance flies, while others used traditional methods for a comparison. With this method, they decided, they couldn’t pass off a “quiet” fly day as being solely weather-related, since they could compare with the activity on an unprotected farm.

Two farms with adjoining property lines showed a dramatic difference. The horses were actually a “crow’s mile” apart, but the ones with the predators defending them had hardly a fly problem all summer, while the other horses were standing in the darkest part of their run-in shed, still stomping and swishing their tails.

All barns were kept clean, and some farms picked manure up out of their paddocks, while others didn’t. The fly parasites worked as well in either environment.  However, the establishments using more diligent manure management seemed to have better control. There also appeared to be a noticeable decrease in the flies that were not listed as being affected by the fly parasites.

One stable that kept four acres clean around the barn, run-in and riding area but did nothing with the manure in their 12-acre pasture had fantastic results.  (This farm is a half mile from a small cattle operation and adjoins a nature conservancy swamp, both prime breeding grounds.)  They were virtually fly-free all summer, noticing even a strong decrease in face, deer, horse and bot flies.

This stable used a small bag of parasites, designated for one to five horses, and sprinkled the predators on the manure piles. They also made a loop through the pasture, placing parasites on fresh manure in the rough areas.

I especially liked the part where they describe the “riding habit” (when’s the last time you heard those words?!) and Goofy points to his “protective headgear” – a top hat!  If you’ve got about eight minutes to spare, it’s worth every second! Long live Goofy!

Do you have room in your barn for Venus?

Do you like grey horses? How about a rose grey Arabian filly? Venus is obviously going to be flashy! Born in a rescue facility in Colorado,  Venus is 18 months old and ready to begin her training.  Looks like she’ll be well suited for endurance . . . or anything. After all, she’s an Arab!Looks like a $500 bargain, if you’re ready to tackle training yourself.

Venus is part of the A Home For Every Horse program that focuses on finding homes for every rescue horse, brought to you through equine.com, part of the AIM Equine Network. You can see more pictures and read about her at http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-1992732.html