What’s the Right Heel Height?

Easycareinc Blog - Full Article

By EasyCare
February 29, 2020

Wouldn’t it make life so much easier if we had a hard-and-fast, always-and-never guide for trimming our horses’ hooves? Unfortunately the hoof can’t be simplified like that. The hoof is an amazing feat of natural engineering that offers an infinite combination of variations within “normal” ranges. To make it even more complicated, our horses can add long-existing pathologies, traumatic injury, compensation for conformational quirks, and other anomalies that change how we care for the hoof.

Likely the one aspect of trimming with the most exceptions to any rule is heel height. Ideal palmar angle is considered to be anywhere from zero to ten degrees. How do we decide what’s right for each horse?...

Read more here:
https://blog.easycareinc.com/whats-the-right-heel-height/

Everything You Need to Know About Equestrian College Scholarships: Part 1

FEI.org - Full Article

27 February 27 2020

Nadia Aslam speaks to colleges, tutors and students about the opportunities available through equestrian-based college scholarships...

Many young riders around the world are potentially sitting on a goldmine without even knowing it, and you could be one of them. I’m not referring to your large four-legged friend who seems to enjoy racking up vet bills, and eating only the most expensive horse food!

I’m referring to YOU!

Allow me to explain. You see, there are universities dotted all over the world that offer scholarships to talented riders, but before you start thinking you need to be an Olympic-level equestrian competitor, with as much experience as Beezie Madden to be eligible - think again!

In most cases, universities are looking at your riding ability in combination with your personality, work ethic, and grades.

We’re going to take a look at the collegiate equestrian opportunities in the US, and speak with coaches and riders at some of the country’s top schools to give you the inside scoop on everything related to equestrian-based college scholarships. In this first article we'll look at what these scholarships are and who they're suitable for, and in part two (scheduled for March 6) we'll look at choosing the right college for you...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/equestrian-college-scholarships-guide-1

Check It Out: Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer

KWIT.org - Full Article and audio

By KELSEY PATTERSON
February 24 2020

This is Kelsey Patterson with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It Out. Today, I’m recommending Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer.

At the tender age of nineteen, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to “the world’s longest, toughest horse race”—an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of twenty-five wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland. On a whim, she decided to enter the race. As she boarded a plane to East Asia, she was utterly unprepared for what awaited her...

Read more and listen here:
https://www.kwit.org/post/check-it-out-rough-magic-riding-worlds-loneliest-horse-race-lara-prior-palmer

DVM Student Pursues Her Passion with Elite Equine Experience in the Middle East

Purdue.edu - Full Article

Friday, February 21, 2020

For Caitlin Smith, a member of the DVM Class of 2020, the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap took her across the globe to Dubai, where she became the first Purdue veterinary student to participate in the highly selective Dubai Equine Hospital Externship Program. Caitlin stayed in Dubai on the hospital’s campus for the entirety of her externship, which ran from November 30 to December 29, 2019.

The Dubai Equine Hospital is one the largest private-practice equine hospitals in Dubai and is located less than two miles from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. There are usually anywhere from 20 to 50 horses at the hospital at a time. The externship program takes one applicant every month from countries all over the globe, and does not take more than two externs from the same country in the same year. The students’ travel and food costs are covered and they are housed in an apartment on the hospital campus. When horses are not in the ICU, each student extern is responsible for conducting all treatments from six in the morning until midnight...

Read more here:
https://www.purdue.edu/vet/news/dvm-student-pursues-her-passion-with-elite-equine-experience-in-the-middle-east.php

Woman brings mini-service horse onto plane, into first class

NYPost.com - Full Article and video

By Lee Brown
February 17, 2020

This flyer wasn’t horsing around.

A Michigan woman startled other passengers on a recent series of flights when she brought aboard a mini-service horse and traveled with him in first class to California.

Ronica Froese made the journey starting on Feb. 7 with her equine companion Fred, who was specially trained to make the high-altitude trip, according to WXMI.

“I paid an arm and a leg for tickets, but I did so because it was Fred’s first time and I wanted him to be comfortable,” Froese told the station.

“I wanted him to have the most room.”

Froese, who has trained Fred — who dressed in a sleek suit that made him look like a Lucha Libre wrestler — to be a therapy and a service horse, said everyone was “sweet as pie...”

Read and see more here:
https://nypost.com/2020/02/17/woman-brings-mini-service-horse-onto-plane-into-first-class/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Ramen+Noodles+to+Grand+Prix%3A+Justin+Ridgewell+%7C+Busted%21+Stewards+on+Patrol+%7C+Qatar+Cannabis+Sabotage&utm_campaign=HS-Enewsletter2019-Wednesday-Feb+19%2C+2020

What's in Your First Aid Kit?

Trialmeister.com - Full Article

January 31, 2020
Your First Aid Kit

Are you prepared to be a vet long enough to manage a minor injury or stabilize a more serious wound? In such situations a well-stocked and accessible emergency first-aid kit is indispensable.

Be prepared to stabilize any injuries your horse, or mule, incurs until your veterinarian can get there by maintaining a conveniently located equine first-aid kit. I have 3 separate first aid kits: Barn kit – Trailer kit – Trail kit; Each kit is stocked with the items I’ll need until the vet arrives. Time is critical when an accident happens and you don’t want to waste time hunting around for bandages, thermometer, or other necessities...

Read more here:
https://www.trailmeister.com/your-first-aid-kit/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=February+2020+general

The truth about Rider Fit

MelNewton.com - Full Article

February 5, 2020 Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized
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Endurance Horse Podcast asked me to do a short piece on endurance riding and rider fitness. This blog post is meant as a companion to *my words in the podcast episode “Rider Health – Part 2.” Check it out, and if you found your way here through the podcast, welcome.

*I always always ALWAYS feel so stupid doing a recording. I try to console myself that everyone feels stupid hearing their voice coming back at them, but I can’t help feeling that I’m especially bad at it. It’s definitely not my normal chosen manner of communication, but if me stepping outside of my comfort zone can help others, I’m willing to do it. This is the third time I’ve been on the endurance horse podcast. If you are interested, I spoke about my experience doing the ride and tie championships with a mini horse about a year ago, and read an excerpt from my book, “Go Ride Far,” in the fall.

Here’s the truth about endurance riding.

You don’t have to be an athlete to complete 100 or even 50 miles on horseback.

Yes, finishing an endurance ride accomplishment, but it isn’t necessarily an athletic accomplishment for the rider.

Before you get all mad at me for saying this and throwing stuff at your computer, let’s look at the GOOD side of this.

You DON’T have to be an athlete to get on your horse, train for an endurance ride, have a TON OF FUN, and go out and do COOL SH*T ON YOUR HORSE. YAY!!!!!! So don’t put endurance off for some future time when you will “be in better shape” and instead just go out and do the thing.

But let’s say you aren’t so good at re-framing and are stuck on what I said. You don’t have to be an athlete to ride 12 or 24 hours? WHAT CAN YOU POSSIBLY MEAN?

I didn’t believe it for a long time either. “The horse does all the work!” people would tell me when I talked about doing equine endurance. I stared daggers at them, wondering if these people, who I doubted could even run around the block, could possibly imagine what it felt like to wrestle and console a 1000 pound animal forward (and sometimes STOP BEING SO FORWARD) for 12+ hours...

Read more here:
https://melnewton.com/2020/the-truth-about-rider-fit/

New Diet Fad Has People Buying $500 Salt Licks Designed for Horses

HorseNetwork.com - Full Story

LIZ BROWN
1 WEEK AGO | Satire

Gwyneth Paltrow is just the latest celebrity to sing the praises of a new health fad sweeping Hollywood that’s inspired by the eating habits of horses.
Dubbed the ‘neigh diet’ —its motto is to ‘just say neigh’ to meat and processed foods—the eating regime promotes plant-based dishes, frequent ‘grazing’ in lieu of three proper meals, and free choice salt and minerals from a salt lick that costs $500 at premium health food stores.

In a post on her GOOP site, Paltrow encourages her followers to embrace the health properties of oats and alfalfa and smaller, more frequent meals. She also promotes consuming salt and minerals throughout the day, in much the same way that a horse does.

Adherents swear the new diet has left them feeling energized and melted away fat, giving them a lean, lithe look, like that of a racehorse...

Read more here:
https://horsenetwork.com/2020/02/new-diet-fad-has-people-buying-500-salt-licks-designed-for-horses/?utm_source=MASTER&utm_campaign=45af73c00e-HN_2019_1_30_2020_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5694ca6b0c-45af73c00e-84641243&goal=0_5694ca6b0c-45af73c00e-84641243&mc_cid=45af73c00e&mc_eid=b3c9897994

Oscars 2020: The Greatest Horse Films of All Time

FEI.org - Full Article

10 February 2020
Text by Katie Roebuck

A look at the equine heroes of the movie screen

There were no horses on the red carpet at the Oscars over theweekend, with just the humans of Hollywood in line for the movie industry's top awards.

But that's not to say that our equine friends can't produce box office magic. Films which feature a horse as the star are always memorable. These films are emotive tales of triumph over adversity. No horse has ever won an Oscar, but in our opinion, these movie suggestions are some of the best...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/greatest-horse-films

Give Colic the Cold Shoulder This Winter

KER.com - Full Article

January 8, 2020
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

Colic can strike at any time of the day, month, or year, but impaction colic occurs more frequently in winter. Decreased water intake usually carries the blame for these impactions, defined as a blockage in the large colon caused by any feedstuff undergoing digestion, though other management factors also contribute to the problem.

“Horses require approximately 5 to 15 gallons (20-55 liters) of water per day. Signs of inadequate water intake include production of dry, sparse feces and weight loss,” described Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research.

Forage fermentation requires voluminous water, which is why the large colon and cecum are referred to as fermentation vats...

Read more here:
https://ker.com/equinews/give-colic-the-cold-shoulder-this-winter/?partner=ker&utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=424a4a11e1-KER_Equinews_020520&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-424a4a11e1-11166

Pros and Cons of Feeding Horses Beet Pulp

Thehorse.com - Full Article

An equine nutritionist answers common questions about beet pulp.

Posted by Clair Thunes, PhD | Feb 19, 2018

Q. I have some questions about feeding beet pulp.

• Is it a forage or concentrate? Should it have added molasses or should it be plain?
• Should it be in flake- or pellet-form?
• What’s the correct water to beet pulp ratio?
• How much should a horse eat per pound of body weight, and do you measure it with the beet pulp soaked or un-soaked?
• What supplements should be included if any to ensure balanced nutrition?

I’d appreciate any input you have on the pros and cons of feeding beet pulp.

Read the answer at:
https://thehorse.com/18818/pros-and-cons-of-feeding-horses-beet-pulp/?utm_medium=Reader+Favorites+enews&utm_source=Newsletter