An abscess is basically an infection of the lamina.  Bacteria gets in, causes an infection and then white blood cells attack the infection.  Normally this would cause swelling but because this is in the hoof and the hoof cannot expand, pressure builds and results in pretty severe pain.  The purulent fluid (pus) that is the source of the pressure (product of the body fighting the infection) needs to find a way out.  Generally it takes the easiest path which could either be a hole in the hoof…

I read something this week that totally mazed my mind.  Since I am unable to even think about anything else I guess I will write about it. 

On Barbara Ellin Fox's US Horsemanship blog she has a posting on the modern misuse of draw reins (the web address is at the end.)  As a general rule I do not like draw reins, I know that, in experienced well trained hands, they can be…

Given that it's mosquito season, what better than to post on Medical Monday about West Nile Disease.  (I imagine that if this was being narrated aloud, "West Nile Disease" would be all echo-y and have ominous tones playing in the background - da da daaaa.)



Symptoms (can include):

• listlessness, change in behaviour
• muscle twitches 
• lack of coordination
• limb weakness
• partial paralysis, inability to get…

I have been preparing for a clinic this weekend at Infinity Farm. It’s the my favorite clinic every year: Fundamentals of Dressage. One of my clients asked if it was going to be the same as last year. (Eye roll -is this a trick question?)

Nope, the fundamentals of dressage have not changed in the last year, or the last century for that matter. Dressage is the art of riding with balance…

The interest and use of diatomaceous earth among agriculturalists and naturalists continues to increase due the numerous benefits that this versatile product can provide, without the concern of harsh toxins and chemicals. But what exactly is diatomaceous earth and how does it work?

The name diatomaceous earth comes from the fact that this natural product is made from the fossilized remains of tiny single-celled, micro-organisms called diatoms. They can be found where large…

 This blog is in response to a question raised from one of my recent blogs concerning a comment made in my very first Saddle Fit Tip #1 on Saddle Balance. Geoffrey wanted to know more about the stress lines I mentioned right at the beginning of the video. While I can tell you what to look for, I went to my good friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM and author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain and what to do about it” for the physiology behind this.

She said that “the stress line that…

Anyone who’s been dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend questions themselves later if they read too much into the relationship…I guess he wasn’t that into me after all…

Can we read too much into our relationships with our horses?

Earlier this year in Horse and Rider magazine, readers shared how they would describe their…

I just got to ride once this week, this morning.  I missed some glorious low humidity and cooler riding weather this week because Debbie had her camp.  Now the heat and humidity are back.  At least my ice vest helps. 

As usual when I cannot ride I drowned my sorrows by reading a horse book.  This time it was "Equitation Science" by Greely & McLean, a book about the…

Namaste is a Sanskrit word -which means it’s very old.  Most translate it to some version of “The spirit in me…

US Rider is a company that offers  road-side assistance programs for Members hauling horses.  They have released these tips for hauling safely in bad weather:

LEXINGTON, KY (June 15, 2011) – The severe weather season is upon us, and when things get rough, we’re reminded to DUCK:

• D – Go DOWN to the lowest level.
• U – Get UNDER something.
• C – COVER your head.
• K – KEEP in shelter until the storm has…

Are You Tired of Being Tired?

I’m not the type of person who aims to inspire people to think they have a certain disease or disorder. However, there are some “conditions” that are rampant in our society due to the lifestyle we tend to lead. Vitamin D…

As I rode by the mirror this week, I checked to see the outline of the horse I was training - had he hidden behind the vertical or did his frame match the one I had in my head? Although he felt soft in my hands and forward in his trot, I’ve come to realize that what I feel doesn’t always match what is.



In life, horses, people and circumstances can act as…