My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Seven horses in Massachusetts have been euthanized this month after testing positive for eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), and four people have contracted the virus, one of whom has died. Unlike humans, horses can be vaccinated against the virus — none of the horses that died in Massachusetts this year had received vaccinations. My vet is […]
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Summer is here and the girls are enjoying their time out on the grass. At the end of the day they wait patiently at the gate to be allowed on to graze. They are good about it, though. Grain still trumps grass so they come back when it’s dinner time. This really looks like horse […]
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Earlier this spring there was so much rain and so much mud that the girls were destroying all the grass in their pasture. They ate the tender shoots of grass faster than they could grow. It takes grass about 21 days for grass to be established, so we removed them before the whole pasture became […]
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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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In the equestrian world if your friend, your horse or your friend’s horse is sick or injured, you jingle like crazy to send them good luck. The item being jingled is a curb chain, a series of metal links that is used on some bridles to put pressure under the horse’s chin. In this context, […]
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