If only my barn was as nice as this!

PetPlan, a U.K.-based provider of insurance policies for horses and pets has introduced the PetPlan Virtual Stable Yard. Called “Your Stable”, the site is a three-dimensional interactive environment that allows the online visitor to choose where they go in the yard and what information they wish to pick up on their journey. Surfers can roam […]

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Stem cell therapy for horses shows promise for human treatment

Stem cell therapy in humans is not only controversial, but it’s been extremely limited in its scope. Now, stem cell research pioneered to help horses recover from tendon and ligament injuries may help humans recover from injuries to Achilles tendons. Stem cell therapy in horses has been going on for several years and has shown […]

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Cribbing: Presumed Causes

Many 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 […]

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Clipping your horse: It’s not too late

Whenever I go out for a hack and run into people walking on the trails the first thing I’m asked is why my horse is two colors. “It’s because I paid extra,” I like to tell them. “The second color costs more.” Of course then I explain that I do what’s called a “trace clip” […]

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The Great Escape: Van and Freedom on the Loose

Yesterday I got one of the calls that all horse people dread: my horse and his pasture mate were loose and spotted about a mile from the barn running on the road. Someone had opened the gate and the two horses had simply left. I drove the five minutes to the barn in record speed. […]

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Rehoming the Senior Equine

I got yet another email today from someone looking for a “forever” home for a 24 year old mare. It seems like I get at least one a week now. The good news is that people are trying to find homes for their horses. The bad news is that they are not really accepting responsibility […]

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How to check your horse’s pulse rate, respiration rate and temperature

A horse’s pulse and temperature are two barometers of health. As a horse owner, it’s important that you know your horse’s “normal” temperature and its normal resting pulse rate/respiration rate as then you have a baseline for recognizing possible illness or distress. Certainly one of the first things my vet asks me when I call […]

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Feeding Regimes — How Regimented is Yours?

I 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. […]

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