I thought this was important enough to share-- because I know so many of us drink soda of one type or another. It is never easy to give up habits of things that you like or are used to, but in some cases the long term health benefits are going to be worth it.
What is a Healthy Lifestyle?
According to a study by Michigan State University, a healthy lifestyle is defined by four basic criteria:
Of the 153,000 respondents, only 3% participated in all four of what are termed healthy lifestyle characteristics.
Click here to read the entire article.
The researchers found that the commonly used "skin tent test" (pinching
up a section of skin to note the time it takes to return to its normal
position) varies greatly according to the horse's age, the humidity of
the coat, and the site of the skin tested. Furthermore, it has no
significant connection with the actual state of hydration in the horse,
according to the study.
Click here to read more on this topic at thehorse.com
The Difference Between Ordinary and Extraordinary? It’s That Little Extra.
You've probably heard this cliché at some point or another. It's a cliché for a reason – it's true.
So if the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra, what exactly is that little extra?
Think about this… at 211° water is just hot. At 212° water boils and creates steam.
Steam is the power behind the locomotive engine and the power that brought American civilization across the western frontier forever changing America's destiny. In this case 1° is that little extra that makes all the difference.
Click here to read the entire article.
I've been looking through a lot of my hoof photos. It's really
encouraging! Along the way I've learned a lot about horses feet. I'm
glad that I have, it's been a good experience and while I don't
consider myself an expert on the topic, I can at least tell what a
healthy hoof should look like. I am always open to learning more and
actively seek out the opinions of others. I am willing to try new
things even when what I'm currently doing is working if I've been
presented with enough evidence that it might work better.
Continue reading "Are you thinking about trying barefoot for your horse?" »
This is an almost unbelievable story about an amazing human -- a long distance runner who has run 50 marathons in 50 days in addition to some other incredible feats. In the article he gives some advice for pushing athletic performance from the unthinkable to the untouchable.
Here is a nice post on how reading can improve your life, from the Positivity Blog. I admit to having always been a bit of a bookworm. Even from a very young age I think I've probably averaged about two books a week. There are times when I may only make a chapter or two a week, but then other times make up for it. I also like audiobooks and find them fantastic for those long drives to rides!
I have a book list on the right hand side of my blog that shows some of the books I've been reading or recently read. Sometimes I forget to add new ones, especially if they are audiobooks, as I can really zip through those with all of the traveling that I do. I am fortunate enough to have a local library system where I can check out audiobooks for free at the rate of four every two weeks. I also get books from audible.com, another great source.
Speaking of books - two nice books that I've read recently and recommend to any horse person:
1) Too Proud to Ride a Cow, by Bernie Harberts. Bernie has a great sense of humor!
2) Soul of a Horse, by Joe Camp. Here is my review of this book.
Can you identify a good hoof? Do you know what a good hoof looks like? Do you know the difference between a 'good looking' foot and a 'sound' foot? Is there a difference?
Click here to read the entire article by Journeyman Farrier Keith Seeley.
Click here to download the pdf of this information about a recent new type of EHV outbreak in Canada.
Here is an article from Science Daily titled: Animals are 'Stuck In Time' With Little Idea Of Past Or Future, Study Suggests.
So what do you think? I think the horses are really good with their 'clockwork' as in they always know when it's feeding time. I try not to feed them at exactly the same time each time but do like to spread out two or more feedings a day at fairly regularly intervals - so they aren't going more than 8 hours at a time without food.
Now the dogs are a different story. They also do seem to know when it's time for certain things. Sometimes I think they know that it is the 'weekend', even though I am sure the concept to them is totally incomprehensible. Yet when we have left them for extended periods (more than a day or two at a time) they seem to hold grudges. They get over it, but sometimes I think they want to convey to us that they were quite upset that they got left behind and didn't get to go.
Check out this abstract from research recently published on evaluation of trimmed hooves.
I got the results back from the vet clinic on Rocky. He doesn't have cushings but was at a 68 on his insulin level with 65 being the top level of normal. Fortunately I have had my hay tested and know what he's been being fed. My current hay tested really good, so I am good there. I think that Rocky's problem started in November when I opened up the fall pasture to all of the horses for two weeks while I was gone on a trip. He was able to enjoy grazing on the grass, which was by that point brown. I now know not to do that again! Fortunately he is doing well and is happy wearing his G2's with dome comfort pads.
Here is an excerpt from an article on safergras.org:
Click here to read all of: Electrolyte Supplementation for Endurance Horses: Effects on Fluid Losses and Performance
Here is an excerpt: In conclusion, despite greater water intake with HD, this treatment did not result in faster competitiontime or provide any detectable competitive advantage in the horse and rider teams that participated in this study. Although BM loss was not attenuated by greater water intake with HD, a reason for this discrepancy was not clearly determined. Next, HD resulted in hypernatremia and hyperchloremia, yet at the same time, produced a subtle improvement in owner-perceived performance; it was also associated with detectable improvements in bicarbonate concentration and blood pH.; However, development of hypernatremia and hyperchloremia with HD, in these endurance horses, remains a concern, and until more definitive data becomes available, it has led us to decrease our current recommendation for electrolyte replacement to no more than one-third of the estimated deficits incurred by the exercise bout.
On the EasyCare website in the Education dropdown menu there is a new section called "Repairs". We have the first how-to up on installing an Easyboot Gaiter on an existing Easyboot. You'll be able to view step by step instructions with photos to show how to do this. Everything you need to know in order to turn a regular Easyboot into an Epic is right there.
If you'd like to see a tutorial on something in particular, let me know. We will be working to include many more topics that will help end users do their own repairs to their boots. I'm also going to be working on improving the quality of the educational videos that are on the site. I'm still researching what type of video camera to get that would work the best for this. Suggestions welcome! I need something that will take great quality video AND audio, and doesn't have a huge pricetag.
Here is a great post from Grey Horse Matters called "Respect Your Fears". Havinig fallen and broken my clavicle while riding Chief on his first endurance ride, I know all about getting over fear. It's not easy sometimes to get your confidence back. Fortunately for me, it was an accident and the horse turned out okay (ya think? 7,000+ miles later--with no accidents!). :)
I found this group on Facebook and know a few people who should join! Check it out: My Horse is Trying to Kill Me But I Love Him Anyways
Description: A support group for all those who find themselves in an abusive relationship with their horse, but are unable to leave and save themselves due to their crazy love of said horse. If your horse tries to kill you on a regular basis and you have been through several near-death experiences, then this group is for you.
I'm still kind of new to Facebook, so if you are on there, look me up!
Here are the new guidelines on equine vaccinations from the AAEP.
Click here to see the entire article.
This blog is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin's letters from the first World War. The letters will be posted exactly 90 years after they were written. To find out Harry's fate, follow the blog.
Horses exposed to
structured exercise regimens early in life might alter the development
of their tendons, potentially impacting future athletic ability and
limiting tendon injury later in life.
Another reason why it's good to buy a horse that has been raised like 'a horse'.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
ABSTRACT: Aim: Sodium acetate (NaAcetate) has received some attention as an alkalinizing agent and possible alternative energy source for the horse, however the effects of oral administration remain largely unknown. The present study used the physicochemical approach to characterize the changes in acid-base status occurring after oral NaAcetate/acetic acid (NAA) administration in horses. METHODS: Jugular venous blood was sampled from 9 exercise-conditioned horses on 2 separate occasions, at rest and for 24 h following a competitive exercise test (CET) designed to simulate the speed and endurance test of 3-day event. Immediately after the CETs horses were allowed water ad libitum and either: 1) 8 L of a hypertonic NaAcetate/acetic acid solution via nasogastric tube followed by a typical hay/grain meal (NAA trial); or 2) a hay/grain meal alone (Control trial). RESULTS: Oral NAA resulted in a profound plasma alkalosis marked by decreased plasma [H+] and increased plasma [TCO2] and [HCO3-] compared to Control. The primary contributor to the plasma alkalosis was an increased [SID], as a result of increased plasma [Na+] and decreased plasma [Cl-]. An increased [Atot], due to increased [PP] and a sustained increase in plasma [acetate], contributed a minor acidifying effect. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that oral NaAcetate could be used as both an alkalinizing agent and an alternative energy source in the horse.
Click here to read more.
Here is an article from the M.A.P. Maker blog on what makes us happy.
It's so true - for example today the best part (besides getting the last piece of pumpkin pie and getting to sleep in) was getting to watch my horses play and interact together. They all have such distinct personalities and it's fun watching them do silly things and also knowing to some degree how they are going to react to each other in different situations. The weather is cold and breezy today and that invariably makes the boys all very frisky! The two horses going to Death Valley tomorrow (Chief and Tig) are the most energetic and were rearing and jumping in the air the most, spinning and galloping in circles around Rocky and Zenos. I'm definitely happy to see them all having fun and am excited and looking forward to getting to ride this next week.
We got Tigger's feet trimmed up yesterday (and Chief the day before). This time was probably the best that Tig has been with his feet and I don't recall any raised voices or bad language. ;^) Time and patience is paying off and we are making great progress! Sometimes you don't realize how good you've got it (with horses that are all excellent about their feet being handled) until you get one that isn't. I've got Tig and Chief's boots already packed, all broken in and with dome comfort pads in that are also broken in. The new gaiters are working out fantastic too, Tig has not had any rubs from them (we aren't using vetwrap because he wouldn't cooperate real well - but turns out, he doesn't need it). We are so ready for this ride!
This time of year is difficult with the shorter daylight and winter weather to do as much outside, so getting away to a warmer (for us) climate for a few days is always something to look forward to. Here is a photo of Chief taken from a previous Death Valley ride, on the 31st of December - he gets to celebrate too by wearing a party hat. As usual, I'm bringing the party hats for the horses so if anybody is going and wants one, come and see me! Chief wants to wish all of his equine buddies a Happy New Year! He hopes they all stay healthy and sound and get to enjoy life's little pleasures in the coming year!
Here is a good article titled "Getting Prepared for the Ride of Your Life - The Essentials of Backcountry Horseback Riding.
Commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as "Bute" can retard the healing of damaged tissue in the gut, US researchers have discovered. Click here to read the rest of this article.
Click here to download entire article in .pdf
Here is an article on winter horse care. Equisearch also has a nice collection of articles on winter horse care.
I have a bad habit of forgetting to drain the water hose on the nice days. Then the weather changes and lo and behold - frozen water hose! Ughhh. Last night I had to bail a couple of buckets of water into the big trough to keep my fish happy. Fortunately I have two large water troughs - but for some reason the horses like to drink out of the trough with the fish in it. The other heated trough was about 7/8 full.
I managed to get all of the troughs topped off today, and the hose drained. I'm going to be in Tucson for work for the next few days and I am certain that my husband wouldn't have appreciated having to fill up troughs with buckets because the hose was frozen.
It has been staying cold enough here that the snow still has not melted. The horses all have thick coats this year. It's great for keeping them warm, but makes conditioning them in the winter time a challenge. If I bring them in as the sun sets and they wet with seat I'll put a polarfleece blanket/sheet on them followed by a warmer insulated blanket. I'll feed and then in about an hour or two they are usually dried off enough that I can slip the bottom fleece blanket out and leave the other one on them overnight if the temps are low. I like to try and curry their backs and sides to get the hair to fluff back up as well.
I mean that literally! If we were to say that hoof boots have been ridden a million miles, it would be a huge understatement.
Read more about EasyCare here, including the Company Mission Statement.
This photo is of EasyCare, Inc. owner Garrett Ford, and Neel Glass -- the inventor of Easyboots. To learn more about EasyCare History click the link below. The article is from April, 1995.
Continue reading "EasyCare History - Hoof Boots Have Come a Long Way Baby! " »
I have a page of links to a lot of information relating to endurance and rider education. Click here.
Here is an example of one of the articles that you can find there. It is about worming, something we all need to be aware of if we have horses.
I try to worm my horses on the first of every other month. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way due to the competition schedule. I don't like to worm a horse within two weeks of a competition. That can make it rather difficult at times!
I also like to do a Panacur purge worming on them once a year. Or on any new horse. Some horses really flourish after having it done.
You can see in many of the recent photos I've been posting that my horses carry good weight. I think having a good worming and health maintenance schedule for them contributes to that.
To subscribe or learn more about The Horse's Hoof, click here. This new issue contains an update on Granite Chief, and how he's been doing competing barefoot (and using Easyboots) in endurance for three full ride seasons now.
There is also an article on the Houston Mounted Police Department. Here are a few more photos of them.
Photo here is of one of Zeno's hooves.
Researchers at Michigan State University researched the effects of
offering salt water to horses following an 18 or 28-mile endurance
test. For the first minutes following exercise, horses were offered
plain water or salt water. The scientists discovered that the horses
that consumed salt
water actually had improved recovery of sweat fluid losses because they
were more likely to drink later. When horses drank the salt water, the
blood concentrations of salt remained elevated and thus horses were
more willing to drink again. Horses that drank plain water did not
drink again following the first swallows despite being partially
dehydrated because the water had diluted the blood and
effectively switched off the thirst response.
Click here to read the entire article. I have an electrolyte comparison page that shows most of the major brands and how they compare to each other.
Here is another link to an article I previously posted about electrolyte supplementation. btw- I still don't electrolyte my horses via syringe on rides. I picked up some samples of Platinum Performance electrolyte at Tevis this year and have been giving those to Tigger in his feed - he actually eats it! Usually I just add a little salt into the horses food when they are competing in rides, and I think that works best since they all eat and drink extremely well.
Here is a link to "The Damaging Effects of Shoeing", written by Dr. Tomas Teskey.
Lots of horses have done great with shoes in various disciplines, and lots of horses are doing fantastic without shoes - this is no doubt a controversial topic! I have ridden thousands of miles on horses that were shod (and with Easyboots), and thousands of miles on horses that were barefoot, or barefoot and booted. Now that I've done it both ways in competition, I definitely have a preference for keeping my horses barefoot, and using EasyCare hoofboots when needed. I believe that I owe it to my horses to protect them when I am competing on them in endurance rides - it's not worth the risk to have them come up footsore or have to hurt so adding protection is just something that I feel a responsibility towards them for. Their longevity is my first priority! I know they could compete in some endurance rides barefoot but I am too conservative to risk having them sore either during the ride, or the next day. My horses have earned 21 thousand mile AERC medallions so far. Three of my horses have over 6,000 miles each (two have over 7,000 each) - and all wearing Easyboots, of course. I think there may be something to that. Besides just luck. :)
It's not likely that you'll ever see one of my horses with shoes nailed on, ever again. It would take a severe head injury or some sort of major brain cell meltdown for me to do that. So while I do think that shoes might be the best choice for some riders and horses, I don't believe that they will ever be something that I would choose again for any of my horses.
I hope that everybody can find what is best for their horses, and do it.
Click here to read the entire list of 10 Golden Lessons. I thought of this (having read it awhile back) the other morning when I couldn't wait to get out of bed. I don't need an alarm, that is for sure! ;)
Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.
Lots of gibberish and gobblygook has been posted about beet pulp on the internet over the years. I have fed it to my own horses for years and years. I used it when I got Tigger to help plump him up. It got him eating well, and it did the trick - he gained weight, got a beautiful healthy coat, much improved hoof quality, and became a nice little athletic endurance horse. Do I think that the BP was the reason? Well...no....it was a combination of things...though if you were to read this article that was recently posted on ridecamp you might be led to believe that BP is very bad for horses.
Okay, so now for the fun part. Below is the response from a veterinarian who really does know her stuff, especially about equine nutrition - as she answers an inquiry about the validity of the article in the provided link. Use this as a lesson to not accept everything you read as gospel, especially when it comes to horses, and the internet. Horse owners, and endurance riders especially (who me?) love to find things to blame things on, anytime something goes wrong with their horses. It can't possibly be human error, so we have to find something to blame, and resolve us of having any responsibility.
My advice about beet pulp (not that my advice is worth anything, but I have lots of experience with the stuff) -- if you are worried about it being a problem for your horse, don't feed it. If you feed it and it doesn't cause a problem, keep feeding it. Like I do. I don't make it a huge part of my horses diets, but it is handy for helping put weight on a thin
