A horse that goes barefoot in the snow is less likely to get a buildup of snow in his feet but with our winters not all horses can go barefoot.A really good solution to this problem is to put snow pads on him. They are the same as normal pads except that they have round convex shape in the center. This helps keep the snow from building up in the shoe and assists to push it out again when it does start to get built up. Speak to your blacksmith as he can provide your horse with these pads.

Does it hurt the horse to pull their manes? How can I learn to braid with wool instead of elastics?

Most people seem to feel that the horse is very insensitive to having their manes pulled. I don't agree. I feel that horses get "used" to it but it does not mean that it does not hurt. You are pulling the hair out by the root! I had a mare that would bleed when her mane was pulled. She was very unhappy about it and never got "used" to it! There are products on the market that allow you to get that pulled look without the pulling.

Braiding for shows is much easier if the mane is thin and pulled short so one has to decide if you want to follow convention and pull the mane or use an alternate method to have a short, easy to braid mane.

There are some very good books on the market about grooming and braiding. I would suggest that you check in your local tack shop or your local library for a copy of one of them. Susan Harris author of "Grooming to Win" will be at Five Star Ranch in Oakville early in May for a clinic which could be very useful.Check out Special Events for dates and times.

When I lift her hind legs, she jerks them up very quickly, and than puts a lot of weight into them. Is this because of a medical problem? She's sound to ride and hasn't had any hoof problems to my knowledge. What can you tell me about this?

The best thing you could do would be to have your vet out to determine if she has a problem that would cause her to do this. Given her age it is quite likely that she is stiff, especially when you first take her out of her stall. Only your vet could say for sure whether her problem is caused by stiffness or a problem she has. If you feel that she is stiff try walking her around for five minutes to let her loosen up a bit. Have your vet examine her and see if she/he feels that is the problem. If not it could just be that she has been allowed to get away with it before and you may have to be firmer with her and make sure that she understands that she must not pull her leg away from you. Does she also do that with the farrier? Might be an idea to check with him and see. You should always give her plenty of warmup time when you ride to let her loosen up. You might find that she is better about lifting her legs after a ride.