Horses have been my passion since I was about five years old. Although my parents (and later my husband) hoped that this obsession was a passing phase, it has not abated. For many years owning my own horse was impossible and I begged, borrowed and leased several horses. In 2009 I lost a wonderful friend and partner, my Trakehner gelding, Kronefurst. Luckily I still have my OTTB, Freedom on the Wind, whom I adopted from CANTER in 2006.
I started Equine Ink as a place to share my experiences with horses, riding, and equipment. Feel free to chime in with your comments.
Kronefurst (1991-2008)
Freedom
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Hello there. I really enjoy your blog. This is why I have chosen you as the recipient of the Great Horse Tips Award. When you find another blogger who inspires you or teaches you, please pass it along.
Great Horse Tips Award
Hi – love your blog! I have an OTTB, too – I’m retraining her.
Hi! Love your blog.
Plan on adding you to my blogroll….
LOVE THE SITE. WILL SHARE WITH HORSE FRIENDS
Good stuff. I linked to your post about blanketing and am adding your blog to my blogroll at “My Healthy Horse.”
As an owner of an aging horse (24) I’m encountering more lameness issues with her ie: obviously some arthritis at this age and stifle issues. I continue to exercise her and ride at a walk 3-4 times a week so she doesn’t get too stiff and she’s getting a good amount of pasture time.Also she’s had a bowed tendon and suspensory….it took me a couple years to get her back to riding beyond a walk.
Over the last 7 years I’ve had her on straight glucosamine, then went toAni-Flex and now I’m thinking about trying Devils Claw along with MSM.. Anyone have positive feedback using Devils claw?
Comments and suggestions are welcome!
THX
Hi, I came across this site when I googled Thinline hoof pads. Anyway, I saw a reader that asked about Devil’s Claw. I’ve had my old mare on it for several years now and she’s MUCH more comfortable. I feed a product called Super Substitute which has the Devil’s Claw in it along with lots of other good stuff for tissue and joint health and I also feed Acti-Flex Senior, has proven to be the most effective and affordable (how often does that happen?) joint supplement I’ve been able to find. And my mare will actually eat them without having to douse them in molasses.
Devil’s Claw is not legal in most competitive situations but if you have a horse that is looking at a lifetime of daily bute to keep it comfortable, it’s worth a try to avoid the negative side effects from long term bute use.
My mare fractured her coffin bone over 10 years ago and unfortunately due to my own stupidity, the fracture wasn’t diagnosed until it had already started to heal incorrectly. She wears shoes and pads and is on a lovely supplement regime and while she’s not sound to ride she is comfortable, still runs and plays with her pasture mates and has a bright eye.
Sorry, I got a little off track.
Ester c and yucca with msm will do wonders as well as a homeopathic silca email me for more info
I must say in my ten years of experience working with dogs and horses with arthritis and stiff joints I have found Devil’s Claw used with other herbs such as willow bark, meadowsweet and hawthorn to be amazing. The thing I love about herbs and animals is that they don’t understand the meaning of placebo so there is no tricking them into feeling better-yet the proof is in the manner and behaviour of the animal and in my experience the herbs truely can make a huge difference to the quality of life.
Hello there, I came across your blog whilst looking for a bareback saddle for my daughters 13th Bday. I just had to comment on how enjoyable it is and how much I’m looking forward to reading more! All my best wishes to your family for this new year.
Delphine
Hi ,
Hope all is well.
I just wanted to let you know that the February issue of National Geographic Magazine highlights the plight of wild horse populations in the western U.S. and the effects of federal regulated herd management and shrinking protected ranges. Could our romantic image of the West with wild horses running free across the range soon vanish before our eyes? I thought that this would be a great subject to introduce to your readers of EQUINE Ink, to help spread the word. You can read the story and see a gallery of mustang photographs at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/02/wild-horses/fuller-text
Thanks,
John
John McFeely
Communications Coordinator, Communications
National Geographic Society
1145 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
T: 202-857-7659
jmcfeely@ngs.org
I have a Kronefurst baby (now 14) and a grand-babby (6yrs). My older mare looks a lot like him!! Same beautiful face and similar body and color! I am so sorry for your loss! I have always wondered who owned him, what he looked like, and where he was. I knew he was something special! I should have looked sooner. I would love to send you pics directly if you are interested – please email me.
I love your site. Keep it up !
Thank you for the article on Elmer Bandit and his owner Mary Anna Wood. I rode everywhere as a youth, but work and responsibility took me away until 2007. I now have three 17 year olds, two arabs and one quarterhorse. Your site is filled with wonderful information. I now reside in West Virginia and am participating (and volunteering) in the first West Virginia Horse Expo to be held April 18 & 19, 2009 in Lewisburg, WV, at the WV State Fairgrounds. The Expo is to help fund http://www.ArmsWideOpenMinistries.org. The WV Horse Expo will be an annual event and we have booked the fairgrounds for the last weekend in April 2010, and plan on having a fall 2009 event. We would love to have Mary Anna Wood and Elmer Bandit at our Expo this coming fall or next year. If anyone knows how to reach her, please ask her to contact me.
http://www.CustomPhotoBook.com
http://www.wvhorseexpo.com
www. armswideopenministries.org
Hello Equine Ink!
I’m currently doing research for an global equestrian federation client of ours,
and your site has been a great resource for me. Thanks for all the informative content.
At the moment, I’m working on a social media strategy to promote equestrianism to youth online and would love to hear your experiences with youth riders (if any).
If you don’t mind, I’d like to get in touch and ask a couple questions, you can contact me through my email below. I would really appreciate it.
Many thanks!
Paulino
paulino@wearevi.com
http://learningaboutequestrianism.blogspot.com/
I came across this blog while researching Devil’s Claw. We manufacture a liquid extract which sells very well and generates a lot of positive feedback. This may help answer Debbie’s question from January 5.
There has been a lot of speculation recently about Devil’s Claw becoming banned in competition and I’d really love to find out if anyone has ever had a positive test.
If you can help I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks
James
I was just googling my new gelding’s name,and came across your mention of him on your website.He is War Storm,the horse you pictured over the summer,that was offered thru NE CANTER.
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Hi, I came across this site when I googled Thinline hoof pads. Anyway, I saw a reader that asked about Devil’s Claw. I’ve had my old mare on it for several years now and she’s MUCH more comfortable. I feed a product called Super Substitute which has the Devil’s Claw in it along with lots of other good stuff for tissue and joint health and I also feed Acti-Flex Senior, has proven to be the most effective and affordable (how often does that happen?) joint supplement I’ve been able to find. And my mare will actually eat them without having to douse them in molasses.My mare fractured her coffin bone over 10 years ago and unfortunately due to my own stupidity, the fracture wasn’t diagnosed until it had already started to heal incorrectly. She wears shoes and pads and is on a lovely supplement regime and while she’s not sound to ride she is comfortable, still runs and plays with her pasture mates and has a bright eye.Sorry, I got a little off track. Devil’s Claw is not legal in most competitive situations but if you have a horse that is looking at a lifetime of daily bute to keep it comfortable, it’s worth a try to avoid the negative side effects from long term bute use.
+1
Hi- I really liked your saddle fit video and appreciate your posting it. I just read something on nezvorov’s site (russia) about the horses back going numb after only 15 minutes of riding-is this true? if so, i can’t justify riding my horse! -he’s passing 17hh @ 4 yrs old- i am 114 lbs, but i would never want to hurt him! Now I’m trying to find out if this is true..
Please let me know what you think of this, Thank you.
Hi Diane,
I have never heard of a horse’s back going numb after 15 minutes of riding. If a saddle doesn’t fit and pinches on the nerves over the withers, I suppose it could happen. However, a properly fitting saddle would not cause this effect. I frequently massage my horse’s back after riding to check for sore spots and I can tell you that he feels the lightest touch of my fingers just fine!
You don’t have a category for spouses. My husband found your site.
He appreciated the article on cellulitus. His otttb get’s it occasionally. I don’t know if he got all his new found info from your site, or several. Now not only can he not listen to trainer wife, he can spout off statistics about allergies and cellulitus.
Now if we can get him so motivated to work on his flat work!!!
please share my email, too have alot of information on my site out here in California. I need to update to wordpress. You are doing a great job!
christine amber, amber@equestriantraining.com
I’m always glad if if I can help. Tell him to check out my upcoming series on warming up the older horse. All about flat work!
Wow – loving this site! I too have been riding as long as I can remember, and spent most of my younger years working with’em, too. My sister had an OTTB and he turned out to be a wonderful Dressage horse.
My husband is as supportive as a completely non-horsy guy can be – although once, years ago when I got my daughter into riding lessons instead of skiing, he told me that if he had known I was so horse-mad he wouldn’t have married me. My reply – “that’s OK, my SECOND husband will own a stable”. No more arguments since then, and he turns up for all our shows (she jumps jumper-style and I currently do Dressage on our shared Quarter Horse). Our 25th anniversary is coming up.
I’ve bookmarked this site as a great resource, and will be telling my friends about it, too.
Welcome! Make sure you add your experiences to the site with some comments.
Do you think the recent news about the danger of copper (in vitamin pills) to the health of women can be extrapolated to horses? Copper is in the supplement I feed my horse and, along with zinc, considered to be a mineral horses tend to be deficient in. In light of recent findings in the human realm, would you say it is best not to add copper to a horses diet? Helen
What is the best way to discourage a horse from rearing. My mare, who has become herdbound (as well as becoming the herd leader) has taken to rearing when I try to ride her out away from the other horses, on reentering the field after a ride, or when riding with another horse who leaves us, and even occasionally when she doesn’t want to go forward in the ring. It has also become difficult for me to lift up her front feet (she is good for the farrier). Any thoughts? Helen