My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
With horses, it’s always something. I don’t normally feed Saturday mornings but I’m sure glad I did last weekend. It took me only a few minutes to see that Freedom was hurt and it looked bad. He had been kicked on his left forearm. The area was hugely swollen and there was a big jagged […]
Read MoreYou know that sound. The light clink or metallic ping that a loose horse shoe makes when your horse steps on pavement. In the beginning it’s so slight that you try to imagine you didn’t hear it. Until it gets louder and more obvious. I heard that sound today as I put my horse in […]
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On Monday night I showed up at the barn around 7:00 p.m. to ride once the day cooled off. To my dismay, I found that Freedom’s knee was hugely swollen with cellulitis. I had wrapped his legs because he’d felt a bit stocked up the night before and because the swelling had nowhere to go […]
Read MoreBuying a horse is a gamble since their condition and health is a moving target and there is no way to predict the future. There is, however, a way to take snapshot of the present and to evaluate the past: a pre-purchase exam — or PPE. A PPE is a health exam performed by a […]
Read MoreIt’s very tempting to go to the racetrack for your next project horse. Off-the-track-Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) are often inexpensive, beautiful and definitely in need of a new career once their success on the racetrack has diminished. I’ve owned three OTTBs and have looked at several more during my horse purchasing adventures. Over the past week I’ve […]
Read MoreSodium hyaluronate (HA) is a substance that occurs naturally within the joint and helps to create a cushion between bones and tissues. It’s been used successfully to treat the symptoms of arthritis in horses when injected into the joint, where it acts as a lubricant and mild anti-inflammatory. HA is also used as an IV […]
Read MoreMany of have been there. We train our horses and work toward a goal only to be sidelined by an injury at the last minute. Months of work and anticipation can thwarted by a lost shoe, a tweaked tendon, an episode of colic, or a rider injury. All of that anticipation and we’re left cursing. […]
Read MoreQuality Road, one of the favorites for the upcoming Kentucky Derby was withdrawn yesterday because of residual soreness from a quarter crack. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Whenever hoof issues become headline news I always turn to Fran Jurga’s Hoof Blog as she always has the inside story from the farriers treating the problem. Today is […]
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