My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Cribbing, weaving and other stereoptypic behaviors can be reduced through diet and stable management. Recently I wrote about cribbing and how to help prevent it. Conventional wisdom has always been that frequent grazing and turnout can reduce cribbing behavior. Now a study conducted at the University of Bristol confirms that horses whose lifestyle approximates the […]
Read MoreMany horse owners simply won’t buy a horse that cribs. Partially it is because they are harder to board (some barns won’t take them). Other owners worry too much that a horse that cribs is more prone health issues (such as colic) or harder to keep weight on. However, according to Cornell Veterinary School, cribbing […]
Read MoreMy horse is kept at a private barn that is on the town’s trail system and where there is a dental office on the property. As a result, I frequently find people (usually mothers with small children, but not always) leaning over the fence and trying to tempt the horses over with carrots, apples and […]
Read MoreCompared to the standard salt block the Himalayan salt licks sure do look better. And they sound healthier, too. It seems a simple way to do something that’s just better for your horse without breaking the bank. But are they worth the additional cost? How can you resist a sales pitch like this: A 550 […]
Read MoreI used to be a real feed Nazi. I wanted my horses fed on a schedule and was sure that deviating from one would cause real issues. I imagined colic . . . or worse. I contemplated how much I’ve changed from that person as I skied over to the barn this morning to feed. […]
Read MoreBack in September, Stacey at Behind the Bit posed the question, “Co-op barns: why aren’t there more of them?” I’ve been thinking about a response ever since. I’ve been at a co-op barn for the past eight years. For the most part, it’s been an incredibly good experience. Before moving there, I drove 25 minutes […]
Read MoreLast winter hay was scarce and expensive. It doesn’t look like this winter will be much better; weather conditions this summer made it difficult to cut and bale hay, resulting in a shortage in many parts of the country. Here in New England, hay is about $350 per ton, so when you have two tons […]
Read MoreAt the end of June, my Trakehner, Kroni, lost both front shoes and quite a bit of hoof wall. It launched us on a hoof growing experiment and a prolonged stretch of having him barefoot. He lives out 24/7 and it really wasn’t feasible to try to put shoes on him if he was going […]
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