My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
What is it about French horses? Last year, French police horse Garibaldi, made a tour of the downtown, sans his rider. Now, eight ponies managed to dump their riders and take off down the A4! Apparently they were spooked by a horn. Luckily all the ponies were caught and returned unharmed.
Read MoreElmer Bandit, the 38 year old competitive trail horse, was euthanized on February 14th after he was unable to rise. Although he was alert, cold temperatures and wind had caused him to become hypothermic. He was surrounded by his friends and his owner, Mary Anna Wood, at the end. The Horse has set up a […]
Read MoreI’ve been reading Dick Francis books since, well, since I could read. They were among the first “grown up” books that I read. I gobbled them up because combined my two favorite things: horses and mysteries. Even better, he wrote 42 books, so there was plenty to read. My mother (a non horse person) also […]
Read MoreNot horse related, but this short animation strikes a chord. We have three cats. Four actually, but one is so old that mostly she sleeps in her box on the kitchen table. The other three monitor my progress at waking up in the morning. Many times the first thing I see when I open my […]
Read MoreAnky van Grunsven is considered the queen of Rollkur by many. She calls her system Low, Deep and Round (LDR). In these three videos, Anky talks about her system of LDR in a clinic while demonstrating the techniques on her horse Nelson. While I’m not a fan of Rollkur (and yes, these videos are meant […]
Read MoreRecently I tried to help someone find a home for a horse that at the tender age of six, has been declared pasture sound only. After spending thousands of dollars at a well known large animal veterinary hospital the diagnosis was severe kissing spines. While the horse looks fine at liberty, he can’t carry weight. […]
Read MoreThe so called “Blue Tongue” video, which shows Patrik Kitell training the stallion Watermill Scandic at a World Cup event last October sparked a huge debate about the use of Rollkur (or hyperflexion) around the world. A horse’s tongue can turn blue when the curb bit presses down on the tongue, impairing blood circulation. After […]
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