May 2009

  • All the Pretty Horses

    By macallister on 5/31/09 11:54pm
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    There's a documentary from a couple of years ago, for which this is a trailer:



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  • Rachel Alexandra Wins the Preakness!

    By macallister on 5/19/09 2:57pm
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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.

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  • Second Race of the Triple Crown, Saturday

    By macallister on 5/15/09 10:00pm
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    Man O'WarMan 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. 

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  • Ascarids, Strongyles, and Bots, oh my!

    By macallister on 5/11/09 5:29pm
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    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-belliesHorses that look quite wormy, thin with pot-bellies

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