Longevity…according to TheHorse.com
Once again, that illustrious online publication theHorse.com has come up with a somewhat dubious article. Acknowledged, it is something of a summary of opinions expressed by typical equine veterinary surgeons. The main objective of this analysis is to show how far behind reality the veterinary community actually is and how publications like TheHorse.com perpetuate the […]
Surprise surprise…
Light exercise could help reduce laminitis risk, study finds This was the headline of an article in the British (online) magazine Horse and Hound last week. It was tagged ‘Overweight horses‘.This study was carried out by the veterinary and agricultural science faculty at the University of Melbourne, Australia on a mere twenty-four horses. Such a small sample […]
Safety Shoes and the Toilet
I regularly get asked what is so bad about horseshoes. And why horses are shod, if horseshoes are really so bad. To answer the first question, the easiest comparison we can make is that of safety shoes. Imagine that, day in, day out, twenty-four hours a day, you were to wear a pair of safety […]
Locking up your Children
This week, a study by Nottingham Trent University (UK) reached the mainstream British media. The study told us nothing new – but it did manage, with this media coverage, to suddenly reach a much wider audience. Essentially it was a study into the well-being of horses and the effects of stabling. The study showed that […]
But…
How often do we hear, or use, this word when talking about horses? Often in the context of knowing something is actually better for the horse but my horse can’t because of all sorts of carefully created and formulated excuses. I know that roughage is best for horses but my horse needs extra cubes/mix/nuggets etc because… Barefoot is […]
Rubbish in the Meadow
It is vitally important to know what is lying around your horse’s field. Although horses are not stupid and, in general, they don’t eat things they are not supposed to eat (at least, not when they are grazing) there are moments when this can break down. There is a lot of worry among horse owners […]
Windchill
For many of us, the weather is rather inclement at the moment. In many parts of Europe snowfall has given a very wintry vista and the wind has also started to get up. The combination of low temperatures and wind has given us a new addition to our vocabulary in the past thirty odd years […]
The Planning – 2013
For Sabots Libres, 2013 should prove an exciting year; rolling out at least two new concepts and expanding horizons. The concept of Subscription Trimming is in itself not new – not unlike a season ticket, it entitles you to a set number of trims within a given period for a fixed price. More information about […]
Stick-in-the-muds
Why oh why do people – well educated supposedly open-minded people – get so stuck in their ways? Ten to fifteen years ago, if you had built a bright airy riding arena with stalls, 3x3m opening onto a wide gangway, reactions would have been “Wow! Fantastic.” Today, we realize that this is no longer acceptable. […]
Back outside
Having been kept indoors the past few icy days – horses can’t walk on hard icy ground – the local horse-community is back outside and naturally well wrapped up in their jackets! After all, it is still cold. It is always a wonder to me that so many “knowledgable” horse owners seem to think that […]