Chances are, your horse either has “feathers” year-round, or only during the coldest winters (depending on the breed). The fact that I left these “hairy heels” unclipped used to send my trainer over the edge. And with a little Irish draft in her blood, my mare sports perennial leg-hair. But feathers do serve a purpose. First, […]
This may not look like much. But it took two-and-a-half years, several vet bills, sleepless nights, and lots of tears to get here. Prior to this moment, the last time we rode a centerline to a judge was November 2011. I haven’t been taking lessons, but I felt it was time for an independent third party […]
Horses don’t speak human. But if you “listen” with all of your senses, they absolutely communicate. Nothing will teach a rider to listen to their horse quite like prolonged lameness. Each time I approach my mare, my mind starts a checklist. “Is she bright-eyed? Was that a little swelling on her leg? Did she take […]
After over a year and a half of unresolved lameness in my mare, I am having outstanding success in a very short time with daily Cur-OST. (Please note: I am not sponsored by, and have no business or financial ties to, Nouvelle Research or Cur-OST. I blog about products only to provide helpful information to other […]
My mare has not truly been sound in a very long time. 2013 was not a great year for us. Two ligament injuries, stall-rest, and arthritis left her quite lame. Read more about our soundness struggle here. Just before Christmas, she came down with a respiratory infection that resulted in a week of stall rest and […]
Equine lameness can be discouraging and expensive to treat. I’ve been dealing with a less-than-sound horse for over a year. Several x-rays, ultrasounds, months on stall rest, shockwave treatments, two MRIs and a stay in the vet hospital later, as of Thanksgiving, she was still noticeably lame. Two weeks ago, I started the mare on […]
Have you heard of CurOST? Until a few years ago, I hadn’t either. In 2010, I had the privilege of watching the World Equestrian Games with friends and family. As we walked the aisles of gift shops and exhibits, I picked up several samples. Over the last few years, Nouvelle Research has emailed articles about […]
With my mare in recovery from two ligament injuries, I’ve gotten creative: dreaming up things we can do in the stall, on the lead, and under saddle in straight lines mostly at the walk. I had a world of trouble finding guidance on the internet. Most exercises were tailored for horses with bony injuries. Soft […]
It isn’t fun to brush dried poultice out of a tail. But then again, a tail is a horse’s best defense against pesky biting flies. My poultice regime starts with fashioning a less-than-attractive-but-cheap-and-effective fake tail. Step 1: Cut 2 foot segments of baling twine Step 2: Braid tail. Thread baling twine about halfway through the […]
Capital Cowgirl 