The Journey of a Lifetime

FEI.org/stories - Full Story with video

27 March 2020
Words by Richard Mulligan

Three international equestrian stars enjoyed a life-changing experience on a 100km trek with wild horses in the Pyrenees...

Juan Matute Guimon is a young Dressage star who has reached the top of his sport at just 22 years old, but nothing could prepare him for the life-changing experience of guiding 30 wild horses on a 100km trek through the Pyrenees.

The young Spaniard signed up to take part in a three-day transhumance, which is the traditional movement of livestock between the valleys and the lush high mountain pastures. He and fellow travellers Hanna Tardiveau and Laura Demaille – both international Jumping stars - were charged with the responsibility of accompanying 30 wild Merens horses on the journey through the mountains with an elevation of 8,100m...

Read more and see video here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/transhumance-pyrenees-horse-pilot

Rosie Pope Update: Running from the UK to Nepal at 75

Chris Hinkle photo
Explorersweb.com - Full Article

by Alex Myall

When I was tasked with writing about Rosie Pope’s expedition, I was told that she is quite a character. I’d say “character” sums her up beautifully. Even the bare facts — at age 75 she’s running from the UK to Nepal — makes evident her joyful lust for life and quirky style. By her own admission, Rosie isn’t athletic, and when I say “running”, I mean her mission is actually more like lugging a trike-turned-coffin across continents. Said trike-tuned-coffin holds all the necessities and doubles as a sleeping space when she needs to rest.

On March 3, Rosie reached Istanbul, Turkey. She crossed the iconic Bosphorus Bridge (with a police escort, no less, since it isn’t a pedestrian bridge) marking her official entry into Asia...

Read more here:
https://explorersweb.com/2020/03/16/rosie-pope-update-running-from-the-uk-to-nepal-at-75/

Help Gastric Ulcers with Frequent Feedings

KER.com - Full Article

June 6, 2019
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

Many performance horses have ulcerations of the stomach that can hinder performance and well-being. Did you know that broodmares and lightly ridden horses are also at risk? According to veterinarians and researchers, one contributing factor to equine gastric ulcer syndrome, or EGUS, involves feeding management strategies, including lack of free feeding.

“Free feeding of performance horses or those maintained primarily in individual stalls is not a realistic option, compared to horses on pasture that will graze for 10-15 hours a day,” shared Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

For most performance horses, simply offering more hay will not provide sufficient energy, necessitating the addition of a concentrate to the diet. Typically, these grain meals are offered twice daily...

Read more here:
https://ker.com/equinews/help-gastric-ulcers-with-frequent-feedings/?partner=ker&utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=be6fee2903-KER_Equinews_062619&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-be6fee2903-11166

I Need a Break - Karen Sweaney

BakersfieldDressage.com - Full Article

3/20/2020

I bet you do too. Fortunately, Facebook has been plastered with funny memes this week. No, COVID-19 isn't a joke, but people are hilarious, and thank goodness they are or else I'd be blubbering under the covers right about now. Letting some of the pressure escape with a good laugh at ourselves can only keep us healthier.

In Prose Works, Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, said, "If only the people would believe that good is more contagious than evil [...] how much more certain would be the doctor's success [...]." In this instance, laughter could certainly replace good without changing her meaning. In fact, it only strengthens her point...

Read more here:
https://www.bakersfielddressage.com/home/i-need-a-break

Horse Owner Help During COVID-19

TheHorse.com - Full Article

What to do if you need help feeding your horses after a COVID-19-related job loss, and how to help others if you don’t.

Posted by Stephanie L. Church, Editor-in-Chief | Mar 19, 2020

This week I’ve been curious—even a bit anxious—about how COVID-19 closures and cancellations are going to directly impact horse owners and their horses. As people are laid off from their jobs or must shutter their businesses in the face of decreased profits or inability to operate, they must find a way to cover their living expenses, as well as their horses’.

Spring hasn’t hit most pastures yet, so horse owners are still feeding a lot of hay … it’s simply a more expensive time of year to keep horses. It’s also tax season, and some owners owe the IRS.

“The timing is awful,” said emergency planning expert Rebecca Gimenez-Husted, PhD, who is based in Georgia. “There’s very little grass yet, and spring grass is so dangerous for laminitis risks...”

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/186173/horse-owner-help-during-covid-19/?utm_medium=40digest.7days3.20200320.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

The Lost Sea Expedition A Man. A Mule. America.

LostSeaExpedition.com - See video documentary

Welcome. I’m film maker Bernie Harberts. This site is about the Lost Sea Expedition TV series, the documentary about my 14 month wagon voyage from Canada to Mexico. I filmed the whole voyage right out of my solar powered wagon – no sponsor, chase crew or support vehicle...

Watch the preview here:
http://lostseaexpedition.com/#.XnOXN3bB6Ro.mailto

Girth Aversion in Horses: Gastric Ulcers Pinpointed

KER.com - Full Article

February 19, 2020
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

Saddle enough horses and you will run into one that detests girthing. A horse that is sensitive to cinch-fitting, sometimes called a “girthy horse,” usually displays signs of protest, including tossing the head, pinning ears, wringing the tail, stomping a foreleg, kicking out with a hind leg, and worse. Is girthiness an expression of resistance, a sign of shaky work ethic, or could there be an underlying cause?

Veterinary researchers set out to determine the causes of girthiness in a retrospective study of 37 horses admitted to the University of California, Davis. Although identifying the exact cause for girth aversion remains a challenge, 12 of the horses studied were diagnosed with gastric ulceration. In addition to gastric ulcers, the horses were found to have sundry orthopedic issues (10 horses), ill-fitting saddles (3), reproductive tract neoplasia (1), and various diseases (10), including liver abscessation, vena cava aneurism, sternum pain, and urinary tract infection...

Read more here:
https://ker.com/equinews/girth-aversion-in-horses-gastric-ulcers-pinpointed/?partner=ker&utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a71e782808-KER_Equinews_031820&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-a71e782808-11166

Equine Coronavirus and COVID-19 are NOT the same disease

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Palm Beach Equine Clinic addresses concerns regarding Equine Enteric Coronavirus and COVID-19 -- both distinctly different coronaviruses.

By: Palm Beach Equine Clinic | March 15, 2020

The recent spread of the novel coronavirus has raised serious concerns as the status continues to evolve. As equine veterinarians, Palm Beach Equine Clinic would like to address the questions and concern raised by horse owners regarding the potential impact of this disease on the equine industry.

Coronaviruses include a large group of RNA viruses that cause respiratory and enteric symptoms, and have been reported in domestic and wild animals. Equine Enteric Coronavirus and COVID-19 are both coronaviruses, however, they are distinctly different viruses.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infectious disease experts, and multiple international and national human and animal health organizations have stated that at this time there is NO EVIDENCE to indicate that horses could contract COVID-19 or that horses would be able to spread the disease to other animals or humans. Equine enteric coronavirus and COVID-19 are NOT the same strain, and there is no indication that either are transmissible between species...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/equine-coronavirus-and-covid-19-are-not-the-same-diseases/

Responsible Trail Use – A Guide for Horsemen

Trailmeister.com - Full Article

A Guide to Responsible Trail Use

February 24, 2020
by Robert Eversole

Responsible Trail Use – A Guide for Horsemen

What you should know about responsible trail use through appropriate outdoors etiquette and ethics.

If you’re new to trail riding, it’s easy to view it as just a hillier extension of the arena. It’s just trail riding, right? Not quite. Trail riding offers an escape to beautiful, wild places — but also brings with it a responsibility to keep those places pristine and to respect the experiences of other visitors. Here are a few tips to help you become an upstanding citizen of the trails.

Accept Responsibility

One thing that has always been part of the equestrian ethic is personal responsibility, whether it’s just a day ride or an extended back country adventure.

Before heading onto the trails, learn about the area, gather appropriate equipment (Such as these Essentials for Every Trail Ride) and be prepared to take care of yourself. Whether you’re day riding or camping in backcountry areas for days on end, things can go wrong. Not only could you be in danger, but other people may have to shoulder the challenge of bailing you out of trouble. A well-executed trip is a satisfaction to you and not a burden to others...

Read more here:
https://www.trailmeister.com/responsible-trail-use/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March+2020+general

Alfalfa: Are Hay or Pellets Better Before Riding?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

Research shows feeding horses alfalfa prior to riding can help buffer stomach acid and offers relief for ulcer-prone horses. But are hay or pellets better?

Posted by Clair Thunes, PhD | Feb 24, 2020

Q.I feed my ulcer-prone horse alfalfa before riding, because I’ve heard the calcium in alfalfa works like a big Tums antacid to keep my horse’s stomach from hurting during exercise. I was recently told that alfalfa pellets don’t work and that I should use alfalfa hay or chop instead, because the alfalfa needs to create a “hay mat” in the stomach to keep acid from splashing up into a horse’s esophagus (basically, causing horse heartburn). Is it true that I need to feed alfalfa hay or chop instead of pellets?

A.You are correct. Alfalfa is typically high in calcium, which researchers have shown reduces stomach acidity due to its buffering capacity. In a study at Texas A&M University, 12 horses were assigned to one of two groups: a 1:1 ratio by weight of Bermuda hay and a concentrate feed or of alfalfa hay and the same concentrate feed.

Treatment periods lasted 28 days before horses switched to the other diet with a 21-day washout period between treatments. At the start of the study each horse went through a gastroscopy to determine whether they had gastric ulcers and, if so, their severity. Horses were rescoped after the 28-day treatment periods to determine whether any existing ulcers had improved or worsened or new ulcers had appeared.

The researchers found that ulcer severity scores were significantly lower when horses ate alfalfa hay compared to Bermuda hay...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/185191/alfalfa-are-hay-or-pellets-better-before-riding/?utm_medium=Reader+Favorites+enews&utm_source=Newsletter

Everything You Need to Know About Equestrian College Scholarships: Part 2

FEI.org - Full Article

2 March 2020
Words by Nadia Aslam

We continue our guide to equestrian college scholarships by looking at how to choose the right school…

In part one of Everything You Need to Know About Equestrian College Scholarships we looked at what these opportunities are and how potential applicants might benefit.

With so much choice, it can be overwhelming to find the right school for you. Those considering this pathway should set aside a specific time to put together a list of potential schools, and from there narrow it down based on what feels right.

Here we look at choosing the right college and course...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/equestrian-college-scholarships-guide-2