A Safe Start: the reality of training early…
This article was originally published in English by the author on the Equine Independent website in June 2013 There must be something in the air at the moment; I was recently expounding the virtues of delaying a horse’s training under the saddle only to come across an article last week on The Horse website talking […]
Ragwort &c.
Summer is upon us†, the lush fields of the spring are starting to become the dry dustbowls of summer – at least in those areas where there has not been much rain – and the first hay is being harvested. And horse owners are possibly starting to worry a little: they’ve just noticed some ragwort, […]
Glyphosate Poisoning
You might be interested in this article about glyphosate poisoning. Glyphosate is the main constituent of Monsanto’s product “RoundUp”™
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 […]
Scaremongering…
This photo and a list of ten points was recently posted to a social media site: Essentially a praiseworthy action from a group that has a generally responsible if occasionally misguided approach to hoof care. As they state, the owner is responsible for his or her horse’s welfare – an area fraught with misunderstandings and […]
Managing Pain
It is a difficult decision – you can see your horse is suffering discomfort and you want to help; as fortune would have it, the vet left quite a number of sachets of painkillers behind after his last visit, and they haven’t been finished off. With the idea of being helpful, caring and cautious, and […]
Uh Oh October…
Actually it should be “uh oh September” but that is both less alliterative and this year not so appropriate. September 2014 was particularly warm and the temperature was rarely lower than 15°C. But now October has arrived and the first really cold nights are just around the corner. Along with the increased dangers of higher […]
A step too far…
We all know – or at least, those that want to know – that horseshoes are a destructive and irrelevant relic of the middle ages. We know that they cause more than just superficial damage to the hoof but that the damage continues right through the bones and joints into the vertebrae causing anything from (crippling) […]
When are “Good Feet” really “Bad Feet”?
In my line of work, it is nigh on impossible to avoid visiting a stable or livery yard every now and again. And although I am almost always visiting to tend my unshod horse-clients, I cannot help but notice just one or two of the stablemates; in particular, their feet! Unfortunately, it is tactically unethical […]
Ban on Stabling Horses in the Netherlands
In a public ordnance dated 5 June 2014, published in “Het Staatsblad van het Koninkrijk de Nederlanden” issue 210, year 2014, is a clearly defined ban on the keeping of horse in stables or boxes. Specifically: Article 1.6 The Keeping of Animals 1. An animal’s freedom of movement may not be restricted in such a way that the animal […]