Well, Friday we euthanized my beloved dog. He was a gorgeous seven month old blonde german Shepherd cross. He was way too aggressive for his own good, trying to attack anything and anyone. He was evaluated and said to be a lost cause. Neutering would have done nothing for him. Just before he was led into the clinic he laid his head on my lap, and stared up at me with his big, brown eyes. It was as though he knew his fate and was saying good-bye. 

Getting rid of…

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For any fans of the Broncos, congrats, they won! Peyton retired after his 200th game and all is well....right? Wrong.

Budweiser failed to deliver when their commercial aired. It was greatly disappointing for those of us die-hard #teamclydesdales. It was a major let down. They'll have to do better next year.

On the discussion of those magnificent horses, or lack of them, have any of you ever wondered what went into training those horses for these famous…

Today I was told by a student that I'm the 'Horse Whisperer'. I lunged one of our lesson horses on the line and then off the line. He did walk, trot, canter  and even galloped. He'd be going at a full gallop and if I bent over he'd come to a sliding stop and wait for my next request. This is the same horse who, last year and even a couple months ago, would decide when he would and would not do as I asked. I'd…

Michigan is once again confused. Is it spring is it winter? Michigan just cannot seem to decide. It's currently 48° outside and all MUD. Normally I like mud, but now that I'm cleaning paddocks I hate it. This morning was terrible. One paddock was all mud, one was mud and ice and the other was all ice. The slickest ice I've ever had the privilege of sliding on. Due to the mud the manure gets mixed in and is therefore heavier to pull in my…

Four young college guys are on a mission. A mission most will label crazy and foolish. A mission to help save the Mustangs.

There's a problem. Wild Mustangs are over running the plains of Nevada, Montana, Arizona and Wyoming. A health number of horses would be 26,000, instead there are 50,000, and that's just what can be seen. Ranchers and their livestock are slowly being overtaken by these horses. Horses graze 24/7 365 days a year. By the time spring rolls around there is no…

We all know or have that one mare with the massive ears. We all love them to death but those ears bring us great joy and amusement. But why do they have these huge ears? Is it just a hereditary "ugly duckling trait from daddy" gene or are there actual reasons behind their size?  Here's what I dug up with a little research. 

A mare in the wild is the protector of the herd. Mare's ears are generally larger than a stallions as she protects the herd, so big ears are a necessity.…

It is always safe to say there is nothing boring going on at the stable I work at. This past Saturday I  arrived early in the morning to feed the horses, as I do every Saturday and Thursday morning. When I arrived Oulav, the Fjord we have there, had his head draped over the gate, as if to say "Well, it's about time you got here, I'm hungry!". I entered his paddock and Money and Sully came over to say…

It's been forever since I last posted on here, been busy with life as a whole. But I will try to get back to writing, it's a great stress reliever and fun to do. Where to begin.....

Last Friday I was able to shadow another veterinarian, Doctor Rob van Wessum. Dr. van Wessum is a specialty vet, focusing on…

Working with horses is the best medicine around. It has been proven that horses really do help to soothe those who are anxious or stressed. Their heart can help to calm our heart rate and therefore calm us down and help us to relax. Those with disabilities and…

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The Dirty Dancing known as Dressage~

Dressage was always a beautiful thing to witness, for those involved in the world of horses and even for those uninvolved in the world of horses. It was a discipline that captured grace and beauty and shared it in the most precious of ways. The…

I'll be shadowing him soon enough, just figured I'd share a bit about him. If anyone is familiar with who he is please comment on what you know about him!

Dr. Rob van Wessum, a native of the Netherlands,  received his veterinary degree from Utrecht University in 1991. He spent the next five years as an equine practitioner in a private practice in Weesp.

In 1996, Dr. van Wessum began his own equine lameness clinic specializing in in-depth diagnostics for…

It used to be that high school guidance counselors would tell women, "You cannot be a veterinarian, there's no way it's happening", and women didn't try.

In 1957 Dr. Lose(rhymes with dose), a woman, graduated…

I was privileged with the ability to once again job shadow a large animal veterinarian, this time a woman named Dr. Shrader. She was a very friendly vet who explained a lot and even allowed me some hands-on experience. My day wasn't as long as it was when I was with Dr. Esterline, but I still learned and experienced a lot and it was great fun.…

I am writing this as though writing a story, however all this did take place on one the days I was horse sitting, it puzzled and amused me, but I never thought to mention it or inquire about it, writing it off as nothing important, but now after watching the herd dynamics at Beekman I can't help but wonder, what was going on? 

It was a hot summer day in June,and I was busy mucking Rose's stall out. Julie had left for four days and I was in charge of taking care of the horses.…

 Oh the joys of dealing with loud, eager children and hot, grumpy horses. I don't know how many times I said to walk in a wide circle around the horses back legs. At some point I put an orange cone behind Cruiser and said very loud, 'Caution! Horses will kick, walk in a wide circle around their legs!'. That worked for a little while, but eventually kids went back to hugging…

A while back I did a writing on Dressage, it's ways and beauty, I then did another one expressing my opinion of the way Dressage is done now, which I find despicable with the double bridles and harshness of the riders hands and reins. I know that's not 'recent' recent development, but Dressage wasn't always like that. It was a beautiful partnership between horse and rider. Together they became one in a series of poetic dance moves. The rider horse…

I've been volunteering at the Beekman Therapeutic Riding Center for around two months now. It's been rocky a few times but otherwise very smooth and fun. I must say I've grown attached to the horses and ponies and am developing favorites among both the equines and students. I guess my favorite student is Abbie, a rebellious red head in her late teens. I can't tell if there is anything physically or mentally wrong with her, but she is fun to talk to and work…

What's better than spending three days with horses? Nothing that I can think of. Yesterday was day one of horse sitting. I mucked stalls and tossed hay. The water troughs needed cleaning and re-filling so my brother and I did that too. The dog that stays at Julie's house has become my shadow, needing to be with me at all times. He'll ignore my brother and follow me around. While there I was able to ride Cody for a hour. It was the perfect opportunity to work…