February 2009

  • Horse-Camping and New Trails

    By macallister on 2/15/09 1:33pm
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    Spring has sprung and it's time to start thinking about our goals for ourselves and our horses, this coming spring and summer riding season. There are a number of things we can do to enhance our horse-owning experience. First and foremost, think about how you can stretch yourself as a rider and horse-person.

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  • The Low Cost Of Hay

    By erika on 2/2/09 1:00pm
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    A while back, I wrote about the high price of hay in the Pacific Northwest, and the pressure it was putting on horse owners. Now comes news that the hay prices of last summer were an economic freak event, and prices have fallen sharply.

    This is a classic economics lesson. Hay in the Pacific Northwest was under high demand globally, and the prices rose to reflect that. At a certain point, the prices became too high, and people started buying hay from neighboring states.

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  • Ready for Spring?

    By macallister on 2/1/09 12:15am
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    I had an appointment to shoe one of my client horses today, for his first shoeing of the year. I typically recommend that, if at all practical, horses go barefoot for a few months a year. In the Northwest climate, the winter months work out well for that, since it's mostly too muddy to do a lot of trail riding, and arena footing is both soft and consistent enough that a horse can work comfortably, either barefoot, or wearing EZboots.

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