My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Walk into a tack store or open an equine catalog and the choice for supplementation are staggering. Supplements are available to enhance shine, build hoofs, lubricate joints, improve digestion, give energy or calm them down, increase muscles, boost immune systems, gain weight, and more! For almost anything you can imagine there are multiple choices with […]
Read MoreOn the face of it, you’d think that all horses would love being turned out all the time. Certainly, Freedom made it very clear from day one that he didn’t want to live in a stall. The first night I had him he weaved so much that he ended up rubbing a bloody spot on […]
Read MoreHydration is critical to a horse’s health. If they don’t drink enough water one of the results can be colic — water is extremely important to their digestive system. In the winter horses keeping horses hydrated can be a problem because they just don’t drink as much when it’s cold. Luckily there are several tricks […]
Read MoreLast week I read a post at Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch that really struck home, Routine Tasks with no Inherent Meaning Diminish the Spirit of the Horse. There’s a lot in the post that I agree with. But it was this paragraph that really resonated with me. It refers to how we can motivate our […]
Read MoreGiving a horse medications is not always as easy as mixing a powder into its feed. Sometimes you need to administer them orally using a syringe. Of course, squirting a paste into a resisting 1200 pound animal can be a source of great amusement for those watching and frustration for those administering. Here are some […]
Read MoreIt’s been a month since I had Freedom’s shoes pulled (the great barefoot experience is underway). I had expected the worst: a horse that was too footsore to ride; the loss of an entire hunt season; hooves that chipped; and bruising or abscessing. When I had to take Kroni’s front shoes off he was miserable. […]
Read MoreI’m a big fan of trace clipping my horses. Freedom gets very excited when we are out hunting. He can work up quite a lather and I’m afraid that he’ll get chilled as he cools down. The trace clip is just about ideal: it takes off enough “fur” to keep him cool but leaves enough […]
Read MoreWeaving is a stereotypical behavior like cribbing. Although it is usually considered a “vice” it’s a behavior that horses don’t choose — its another obsessive compulsive behavior — but for which they are often punished. Just like some humans who have OCD behaviors, some horses are prone to stereotypies. Although researchers have not found a […]
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