The calendar changed and so did the weather. These first September days have been undeniably Fall- shorter, crisper and with a bit more oxygen in the air. The moon rules the prairie and this weekend is the Harvest Moon, the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. I won’t say the word- but tick, tick, tick.

The horses didn’t need a calendar to know. There has been a break out of the Fall…

Often when we hear the word calcium we think of it as a bone building nutrient, but calcium also serves many vital functional roles in addition to structural roles. As discussed in our previous blog post, Keeping the Horse Replenished – Equine Electrolytes, calcium is one of the most important electrolytes, which are mineral salts that create electrical current in the horse. When evaluating the distribution of calcium in the horse we see that:

• Approximately 99%…

• Muscular contraction
• Water balance
• Regular heartbeat

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HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• the label from your horse’s grain bag

• a bucket with your horse’s normal daily…

PROBLEM: Lost shoes have you missing days of riding and training

SOLUTION: Hoof Supplements



Ever feel like you spend more time searching the field for yet another lost shoe than you do in the saddle? (Seriously, what does he do, bury them? How could it be gone?!)



Even if your horse isn’t throwing shoes left…

1. Approximately ________% of lameness problems in horses are related to osteoarthritis.

a)…

Although of course it shouldn't be all about the medals and the winning, it absolutely thrills and validates me when one of my clients sends me a picture such as this one. (Christian Hartung riding “Watulele” from the Christiane Noelting Dressage Center in California). This is an absolutely textbook case of a beautiful horse demonstrating "Durchgelassenheit" ('throughness, suppleness, etc.') Of particular note is the fact that he has a beautifully rounded croup, the angle of the hind leg is…

Photosensitivity in livestock can be a major problem. Not only can it cause pain and discomfort but it may even result in production loss and in severe cases death.

Photosensitivity is an abnormal skin reaction to direct sunlight exposure. This condition is not the same as sunburn.

Photosensitivity causes skin to become very susceptible to ultraviolet rays. When light penetrates the affected skin it kills cells and causes swelling, itching and may perhaps even…

Although I have in the past discussed tree points in detail especially in regard to tree point angle and tree point width, I want today to address really one additional key issue with tree points – and that is direction.



Tree points can be forward-facing, straight (more or less perpendicular to the ground) or rear-facing. Forward facing tree points have been proven to be extremely detrimental to horse health in that MRIs and fibre optic cameras have shown the chipping of cartilage…

Occasionally people will be fortunate enough to find a good used Schleese saddle on ebay or second hand or hand-me-downs from somewhere else – but the reality of it is that sometimes despite being fitted as closely as possible they may not actually be the best choice for both a specific horse and rider. Over the years we have changed our designs as our knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanic requirements increases, so that older models may not be as ‘horse-friendly’ as the newer saddles…

Nothing like the horses...

So, we clipped, full body clip, mind you, the big old girl.  She's 16.2hh of half clyde, so this was rather a large job.  She's 24, and we have blood work being done for Cushings.  She looks 5 years younger and shiny as the baby.  She was a bit resistant on Friday, so I had the brain fart to change her bit.  She's had the same bit for the last decade, so it might be time.  Specifically, as horses age, their incisors tend to slant more forward, which…

When looking at a horse you're considering buying, keep the following in mind in terms of the purpose/discipline for which you are purchasing it

• Soundness
• Any blemishes
• Movement
• Conformation
• Manners
• Health (history and current)
• Training and show history
• Size (and is it full grown?)
• Quality/flash - is the horse eye catching? will it stand out in the show ring?
• Pedigree (if considering…

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…

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…

 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…

I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and…