My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
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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I was reminded, today, of the first time I trailered Freedom, at the end of January in 2005. I’d agreed to take him on as a foster for CANTER New England, and had driven to Rhode Island to pick him up with a friend. Freedom had been returned from his first adoptive home — from […]
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A temporary committee charged with an urgent review of the FEI’s endurance rules has had its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Of course, this has been a long time in the making. Since 2014 there have been scandals in endurance racing revolving around catastrophic injuries and doping that have persisted. […]
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Impaction colics are more common at this time of year, when water buckets freeze overnight and horses are less active. A friend’s horse recently underwent colic surgery as the impaction didn’t resolve with tubing and oil. So what can you do to reduce the chance of colic in the winter? Let’s look at the risk […]
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