Horse Forum

This is our Summer Fundraiser.  We are in desperate need of funds to continue caring for our horses so we hope you will participate. Read more

 Premarin (pre-pregnant, mare – horse) is a mixture of “natural” estrogens used to treat menopausal symptoms, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and certain cancers.  Did you know that Premarin comes from the urine of pregnant mares (female horse)?  Did you know that there are such things as “Pee Farms” where they lock up these pregnant horses practically starving them, giving them no where to move and only allowing them water a few times a day, making sure that their urine remains strong?  If you knew all of this, would you stop taking Premarin?  I am curious as to why PETA is not all over this. Read more

We hear quite a lot about shelter pets in need—in fact, June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. And we’ve all been drilled about how important it is to have your pets spayed and neutered, to adopt your dog or cat from an animal shelter rather than purchasing it, and how to care for our furry friends properly. But cats and dogs aren’t the only shelter animals in need of some TLC these days.

We don’t often think about horses in shelters. When you think of a horse, you think of a massive, gorgeous creature galloping freely through a field, likely loved and cherished by his or her owner. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

With the economic downturn combined with a rise in the price of hay, grain, medical care and boarding, caring for a horse simply isn’t within people’s budgets as much as it once was. Read more

There really is something both mystical and universal about these animals. There are whole worlds within a horse.

If I were a racehorse who spent all of my life running my guts out just so people could waste their money, lose their houses and alienate their spouses by betting on me outrunning another horse—not a penny of which is given to me, of course—I would expect a damn good retirement package. A stable on a hill, maybe, with plenty of room to gallop as I please (no jockey on my back, thank you very much), plenty of hay, some carrots, and maybe a nice chenille blanket to cozy up with. Read more

There's a documentary from a couple of years ago, for which this is a trailer:

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The filly Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness, Saturday, handily beating the Derby winner, Mine That Bird, by a length.

More on fillies in horse racing, later. Congratulations to the terrific team that brought this win home.

Man O'WarEvery spring, I sort of keep an eye the news about horse-racing's Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. It's not, you understand, that I love horse-racing. I don't. But I love great horses. There's something about that famous handful of racehorses that have won any or all of these three races, their charisma, talent, and courage, that I do find inspiring, and have since I was a child. So while I don't love horse-racing, I love the ponies that run.  Read more

For horse-owners, spring means lots of things. Trails that were closed or impassable due to mud are open. The days are longer. Grooming chores are more intensive for a while, until all that winter hair sheds out. And it's time to think about worming, vet check-ups, and vaccinations, yet again. Because horse-owners just aren't happy unless we're obsessing over our equine pal's coat, weight, condition, and poop. As disgusting as it sounds to non-horse-owners, and to the inexperienced horse-owner, those piles of manure you clean out of his stall every morning can tell you a tremendous amount about his health and well-being, and you need to pay attention to them. For example, in especially bad parasite-infestations, those fecal balls may have actual worms in them. Horses that look quite wormy, thin with pot-bellies Read more

Nothing didactic or even particularly instructive today. I did want to share something remarkable with you, though. I've been thinking this week about some of the reasons I love horses, and amateur horse sports, so very much. I've ridden horses since shortly after I learned to walk, and can't imagine being without their unique energy and the very specific challenges of being a horse-owner.

The working horses I grew up riding were more familiar with prairie, cows, ropes, slickers, and mile after mile of fence to ride, than they were with stadiums, crowds, and loudspeakers. Like many ranch kids, I rodeoed on summer weekends, when there was an event within a hundred miles or so. And those same horses that worked all week climbed into the trailer to go do essentially the same job, just in front of a local crowd of cheering, beer-drinking ranch folks. Read more