My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Almost every week I see horse owners asking in on-line forums whether or not their saddle fits their horse or, knowing that the saddle doesn’t fit, asking what type of padding can be used to make it fit. Saddle fit is both an art and a science. By working with a saddle fitter regularly, you […]
Read MoreNow that the temperatures are dropping, the debate over whether you should or should not blanket your horses in the winter is in full force. Some people start blanketing their horses when the temperatures drop into the 40s at night; others find their horses do fine even when faced with single-digit temperatures. In truth, most […]
Read MoreContrary to what many people think, horses don’t grow winter coats because temperatures drop. Rather, it is a response to the length of the day. As days get shorter, horses’ coats get longer. This means that some of the “traditional” methods of trying to reduce a horse’s winter coat, such as early blanketing or keeping […]
Read MoreWhen I posted yesterday morning, I was cautiously optimistic about Kroni’s health. Unfortunately, when I came to check him mid-day, he was down and not able to get up. With the help of many people, including an extraordinary team from the MSPCA, we transported Kroni to Tufts for emergency care. I have never been to […]
Read MoreI know these photos have been posted elsewhere, but I have never seen anything like this before and just had to post them here. The horse was cut out of the tree with a chain saw and was fine. Anyone else think of Winnie the Pooh?
Read MoreKroni’s initial blood work came back yesterday afternoon and the tentative diagnosis is either Lyme or Ehrlicchia, both diseases carried by ticks. That’s the second time this week one of my animals has been infected by one of these tiny blood suckers and frankly, I’m tired of it. Actually, my strong anti-tick feeling surfaced early […]
Read MoreKroni is still sick. He’s lethargic, shows signs of colic and has mild neurological symptoms. His temperature has been normal now since last night, but prior to that he’s been running a low-grade fever since Monday. It all came to a peak yesterday morning when I came to feed my horses. Kroni was standing outside […]
Read MoreI’m continually amazed by how much money people spend on saddles that don’t fit. I frequently see saddles that sit right on a horse’s spine or that are so narrow that they look perched above a horse’s back. Sometimes there are several pads under the saddle. I’m sure the rider’s intention was to make […]
Read More