My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
In the first peer-reviewed, published study to evaluate the effects of the nutritional supplement methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in horses, Spanish researchers found that MSM exerted a protective effect against the detrimental physiologic changes that occur during exercise. The study, “The effect of methyl sulphonyl methane supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in sport horses following jumping […]
Read MoreThis is a hard time for horse owners. Not only are economic swings making everyone nervous, but many parts of the country had bad growing seasons, so that hay is already (in New England, at least) at an all time high. In an effort to keep my horse-related expenditures in line, I’ve been looking into […]
Read MoreHelping to grow better hooves has been on my mind a lot lately! I came across this article today, Feeding the Hoof, by Pete Ramey. Certainly, this provides a lot of food for thought. Briefly, the article discusses 1) the impact of carbohydrate overload on the quality of hoof growth and 2) the importance of […]
Read MoreResearch in gene therapy to help heal joint injuries in horses may provide breakthroughs that can be applied to humans. According to Dr. Laurie Goodrich, a veterinarian that specializes in equine lameness and surgery at Colorado State University, horses have a very similar joint anatomy, biochemical and molecular makeup as humans, and joint injuries in […]
Read MoreAs the owner of an aging horse, I’m always keeping my eyes open for information on joint supplements and scientific research. Neutriceuticals are still a gray area, mostly because there is no regulation and very little scientific evidence of their efficacy. I came across two references recently that I found interesting: Glucosamine and Joint Health: […]
Read MoreA few days ago my Trakehner gelding turned 17. I’ve owned him for 12 years and it’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since I brought him home. So, how old is he in human years? I’ve been doing some research into comparing horse and human age, but haven’t come up with […]
Read MoreTreeless saddles are all the buzz. While conventional saddles with wooden or fiberglass trees have reigned supreme for thousands of years (the first “treed” saddles appeared in 200 BC in Asia), during the last decade there has been a vocal movement toward treeless saddles. Some people claim they are more natural, a throwback to saddle […]
Read MoreI frequent the saddle listings on eBay, looking for those great deals on saddles that I’ve always wanted to try. Sometimes the deals are too good to be true — for a reason: they are scams. Mostly, these are people who don’t have an item to sell but have pirated the photo from another auction. […]
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