A Winter’s Lesson The phrase “to eat crow” brings to mind the image of an individual, fork and spoon in clenched fists, white napkin tucked under chin. Before him on a plate is a cooked crow, claws facing upwards. The phrase means to acknowledge a blunder. The following story is …
Article by Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD for ECIR Group Inc. Frozen and lumpy ground can make any horse hesitant and short-strided but cold-induced hoof pain is something different. Most horses are energized by cooler weather, bucking and playing exuberantly. But for some horses, temperature drops mean the temporary onset of …
Does the pandemic have you feeling stuck in your riding? Do you long for some one-on-one feedback on your training? Do you have a training issue you can’t resolve and don’t know where to turn for help? If all the canceled clinics, lessons, shows, and fairs are getting you down, …
Hemp is all the buzz these days, and for good reason. It’s a plant with literally thousands of uses. Hemp is used for clothing, fuel, paper and everything in between. It’s a weed and capable of growing in many different conditions with little fertilizer. Hemp is nutritious and can have medicinal …
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to camp and ride with two of the most enthusiastic mule ambassadors I’ve ever met — Joe and Jenny from the North Idaho Saddle Mule Club. We rode and camped throughout central Oregon for two weeks, stopping at four different equine camps …
Have you thought about taking on a few boarders to help make ends meet? If you keep your horses at home, it might seem like a way to make some extra cash. Or maybe you’re considering building or buying a horse facility and starting a business. Can you make a …
Many articles are written on how to find a good instructor. This article will focus on how to be a good student. Good instructors truly want to help their students learn. Instructors prepare lesson plans and bring their best into the arena. They want their students to succeed and have …
“Rhythm is the term used for the characteristic sequence of footfalls and timing of a pure walk, pure trot, and pure canter. The rhythm should be expressed with energy and in a suitable and consistent tempo, with the horse remaining in the balance and self-carriage appropriate to its level of …
All equines are herd animals by nature. Like humans, horses need interaction with members of their own species in order to thrive. But as prey animals, it’s a biological imperative for equines to be part of a herd. The herd represents safety from predators for themselves and their offspring. Being …
For nearly as long as horses have been domesticated, the relationship between barn confinement and respiratory disease in the horse has been recognized. This relationship is intuitive, especially when we consider that deep in the lung where the blood takes up oxygen, the barrier between the outside air and the horse’s circulation …
