Clik here to view.
Get the Most Out of Your Equestrian Education
Show jumping is a sport of precision, intensity, dedication, and teamwork. To have sustained success, riders and trainers need to be able to manage competition schedules, choose training exercises,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Drugs Okay After the Expiration Date (and What Do I Do With Them)?
Here’s something about which I get calls all the time. Say you come out to the barn and you find that your horse has a bit of swollen leg. You think, “I’ll give him a couple of tablets of bute (or...
View ArticleA Case for Walk Around Coaching
I have always been fascinated by different approaches and philosophies for coaching athletes. Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time around Millar...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Equine Microbiome
What with all of the products out there to help “support” your horse’s gastrointestinal system, I thought it might be fun to share some thoughts and research with my friend Dr. Carolyn Arnold. Dr....
View ArticleMy Horse Damaged Property at the Boarding Barn—Am I Responsible for Paying...
Question: I board my horse at a local stable, and unfortunately, he damaged his stall door overnight. We don’t know exactly what happened, but thankfully he wasn’t injured. However, the door will need...
View ArticleWhen It’s Time
One of the hardest decisions that a horse owner will ever have to make is deciding when a horse’s time is over. I want to talk to you about it. I want to talk to you about it because all too often I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What That Whinny Means
We all get excited when our horses whinny our way. The very idea that it demonstrates affection, or anticipation of our arrival, or is even merely a polite greeting between friends, is gratifying....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bute, Dex, and Risk
Dogma has always been a curious phenomenon to me. In the horse world, people often get dogmatic, from the “best” way to feed a horse, to the “proper” way to ride, shoe, groom, etc. Dogma is usually...
View ArticleYou Need Electrolytes, Here’s Why
Electrolytes. Not just a running joke in the movie Idiocracy, electrolytes are an incredibly important part of maintaining vital functions in your body. Certified athletic trainers and pro athletes...
View ArticleOn-Site Trainers: What Barn Owners Need to Know
Q: I recently began offering boarding services at my barn, and I would like to have a local instructor/trainer come and teach lessons to my boarders. I only have a few boarders, so she will likely...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Honey of a Wound Treatment
There’s something really sweet that you might want to consider putting on your horse’s wound. Literally: sweet. You may have some in your kitchen—honey. Honey is being investigated for its medicinal...
View ArticleDoes Your Horse Need Electrolytes?
It’s summer, aka the sweatiest time of the year. Hooray! And while sure, there are things to enjoy (like swimming, ice cubes, and air conditioning), outdoor activities such as barn chores and riding...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Every Breath Horses Take Affects Every Move They Make
“Respiratory health is essential to performance,” stresses Dr. Emmanuelle Van Erck Westergren of Equine Sports Medicine Practice in Waterloo, Belgium. The prominent veterinarian and thought leader...
View ArticleNo Time Is Ever Spent Wasted in the Walk
My horse has been rehabbing from an injury for almost six months. For the first three of those months, all I did was walk with him. Now I am up to three five-minute trot sets with a one minute canter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ulcers (Are Giving Me Ulcers)
I think that it was somewhere in the late 1980s that I first heard that horses got stomach ulcers. It was interesting—curious, actually—to find out that horses had ulcer problems with their stomachs....
View ArticleClik here to view.
5 Ways to Adjust Your Dressage Freestyle on the Fly
Anyone who has ridden a dressage test in competition is likely familiar with the one that, from start to finish, feels like it is in fast-forward. I beat all land-speed records once on a Morgan who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shady Deals: How to Spot the Warning Signs When Horse Shopping
Q: I’m shopping for my first horse. I’ve been warned about sellers who misrepresent their sale horses—what types of situations should I be wary of during my search? A: I’m glad that you’re being...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Managing Heat Stress in Horses
Summer has arrived, and with it comes hot, humid temperatures. Toasty summer days aren’t merely a discomfort for horses, they can be downright dangerous. Heat stress, or the more serious heat stroke,...
View Article7 Rules for Buying a Horse
I have had the opportunity to conduct a lot of presale/prepurchase exams. You know, the exam that you’re almost obliged to schedule prior to making one of the most important purchases (in terms of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Horses in History: The 14-Year-Old Horse Trainer that Conquered the World
We’ve all seen one of those measurably corny horse girl flicks where the girl defies her father’s wishes and sets out to tame a wild stallion. She whispers sweet nothings into his ear, the music...
View Article