horse care

We’ve had a stretch of truly miserable weather. It rained on and on. Sometimes there was a fine mist enveloping the world. Sometimes a cold driving downpour soaked everything it pelted. In the morning there was a dusting of snow, until that turned into more rain. It seemed like it […]

Rain, Shelter, Horses

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I’ve wanted to have long ears in my life for ages. However, donkeys and mules are a lifelong commitment (they can live 4 decades) and require specialized care. You can’t just pop one into your backyard. Happily for me, Jessica Gonzalez lives only 10 minutes up the road from me […]

Genius Donkey

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Today’s blogpost is a public service announcement 🙂 It’s the time of year to wear high visibility gear. If you’re on a road, even a dirt one, it’s best to have a on. Mine has a message. Once in awhile I know that someone has read it because they actually […]

High Vis for Riding Safety!

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When it comes to taking medication, Tonka is cooperative. It’s no problem giving him injections, or squirting paste wormer into his mouth. But, these are behaviors that have to be maintained. A couple of months ago, for the move to a new barn, Tonka was on a one-week course of […]

Training For Oral Med Dosing

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A horse’s health is intricately tied to what they eat and what they weigh. When Tonka moved barns at the end of May, his diet changed. Both stables provided the right amount of high-quality hay, but it was different. The first was mostly timothy, the other, grass. One supplier from […]

Horse Weight Tape

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Tonka was almost eight years old when I purchased him, and he was barefoot. He’d always been barefoot. His hoof walls were strong with nary a crack or chip. They were beautifully shaped and all four matched. No weird angles. All the same size. Those gorgeous hooves were a selling […]

Tonka’s Shoes

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After a horse gets joint injections, they’re supposed to remain quiet for four days. No galloping about in a field. No riding. Tonka was restricted to his in/out stall. He could look out in the aisle, see what was going on, and chat with friends. He could walk into his […]

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

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Today’s blog is a public service message 🙂 Check your tack. I’m proactive about keeping my tack in tip top-shape. I don’t wait until it’s literally hanging by a thread. There are reasons for my fastidiousness. First of all, I’m a leather snob. I like my horse gear to be […]

Check Your Tack

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We all do it. We question whether we’re doing right by our horses. We question whether we’re riding them in a way that’s fair to them. We worry that their lack of physical perfection is due to something we’ve done, or haven’t done. We agonize over any pain or momentary […]

Self-doubt and Second-guessing

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