My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Every year, right around now, the deerflies start to come out. Zelda is a sensitive soul. She really hates bugs. The problem is, none of the expensive and deadly concoctions appears to repel the bugs. Minutes, maybe even seconds, after I covered every inch of her body, the bugs were back. So far, I’ve tried […]
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I’ve only seen a horse with laminitis once. We had a pony at the barn who looked uncomfortable. She kept shifting her weight. She had appeared slightly off. Her symptoms were suspicious, but when I suggested she could be foundering, her owners were reluctant to call the vet. By chance, we had a potential new […]
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You’ve heard the expression, long in the tooth? That refers to the fact that horse’s teeth continue to grow, or rather, erupt out of their jaws as they age. Horses have about four inches of tooth crown below the surface of their gums, called the body or reserve crown. Just as well, as a horse […]
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When I know I’m going to ride Zelda I always feed her in the small fenced in paddock outside the barn. That’s because she’s wicked hard to catch once her stomach is full. If she’s hungry, she’s right in your pocket. If she’s not, there’s nothing she likes better than a game of tag. With […]
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A few years ago I was lucky enough to borrow a veterenarian friend’s cold laser to treat my tendonitis. It seemed to help reduce inflammation and the sensation was pleasant — mostly, it just made the area feel warm. I’d always hoped to try it on Freedom as she told me that many vets use […]
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How long should you wait to ride after feeding your horse? For many years, conventional wisdom said you should wait an hour. Kind of like what your mother told you when you wanted to swim after lunch. Of course, your mother told you that because she wanted to lie in the sun and read her […]
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Like many of us, after the long winter, Zelda needs to get to work on her beach bod. She’s come out of the winter a little, well, zaftig. For those of you who have never heard this expression, zaftig is a yiddish word that describes a woman who has a full, rounded figure; pleasingly plump. […]
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