Author Archives: Dr. David Ramey

Colic is Not a Disease

I’ve written a few articles about colic—myths, when to go to surgery, and such—and, with all that's been said, by me, and by many other folks, I think that there’s...

Skinny Horses

For every yin, there is a yang. I wrote an article on fat horses—here’s one on skinny horses. Skinny horses are the flip side of the coin from fat horses....

On the Value of Horses

When I was a senior in veterinary school, I spent three months working in central Kentucky, in what-was-at-the-time the largest Thoroughbred veterinary practice in the world. It was just a...

“Natural” Dewormers

Sometimes, you may need to deworm your horse. Happily, if you do—and you should find out if you do with a fecal egg count rather than just blindly deworming on...

Help, My Mare’s in Heat

OK. You’re convinced that your mare has behavioral problems because of her heat cycle. (Not sure? Read Part 1 of this series to brush up on that.) You want to do...

False Precision

There’s something that you need to be aware of in the horse world. It’s called “false precision.” Precision (true precision) requires that a specific action produces pre-defined and specific results....

Barefoot Trimming

There’s a curious phenomenon going on in the world. Some people assert that the horse’s hooves must be trimmed in a certain way, and the horse left without shoes. The phenomenon has firm...

The Problem at Santa Anita

Recently, the horse racing track at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, CA, was closed after 22 horses died in racing and training-related injuries. A rather constant question that I’ve gotten...

Why Do Horses Eat Weird Things?

Horses are not picky eaters. I mean, they’re not carnivores, so they will generally turn up their noses at a good steak (although I did run into a horse that...

Fat Horses

I hesitate to say this, but your horse may be fat. Please don’t take this personally. I’m not saying that you are fat. And I’m not trying to insult your horse. I’m...