Channel Archives: Learn

I ran across a thought-provoking article in the November 2014 edition of the human medical journal, Pediatrics. ASIDE: Yes, I have other things to do. The article is called, “Overdiagnosis:...

Looking for an assistant trainer or trying to find an assistant position are unique challenges for a horse trainer. How do you know someone will be the right fit, as...

I will be the first to admit that I am really glad that I am practicing on horses in modern times, as opposed to just about any other times. For...

The topic of buying a horse unseen comes up from time to time in our practice and it can be tempting, especially with travel to Europe largely halted amid COVID....

The horse’s foot is so important that they’ve even come up with a cliché about it. You know, “No foot, no horse.” Yada yada yada. But, as another cliché goes,...

A pony-tailed girl wiggles in her seat, tapping her tiny pink boots together in anticipation of visiting the stable. A boy laughs and swings his lasso at bales of hay,...

We've all seen one of those measurably corny horse girl flicks where the girl defies her father's wishes and sets out to tame a wild stallion. She whispers sweet nothings...

I have had the opportunity to conduct a lot of presale/prepurchase exams. You know, the exam that you’re almost obliged to schedule prior to making one of the most important...

Summer has arrived, and with it comes hot, humid temperatures. Toasty summer days aren’t merely a discomfort for horses, they can be downright dangerous. Heat stress, or the more serious...

Q: I’m shopping for my first horse. I’ve been warned about sellers who misrepresent their sale horses—what types of situations should I be wary of during my search?   A: I’m...

Anyone who has ridden a dressage test in competition is likely familiar with the one that, from start to finish, feels like it is in fast-forward. I beat all land-speed...

I think that it was somewhere in the late 1980s that I first heard that horses got stomach ulcers. It was interesting—curious, actually—to find out that horses had ulcer problems...

My horse has been rehabbing from an injury for almost six months. For the first three of those months, all I did was walk with him. Now I am up...

"Respiratory health is essential to performance," stresses Dr. Emmanuelle Van Erck Westergren of Equine Sports Medicine Practice in Waterloo, Belgium. The prominent veterinarian and thought leader spent 15 years engaged...

It’s summer, aka the sweatiest time of the year. Hooray! And while sure, there are things to enjoy (like swimming, ice cubes, and air conditioning), outdoor activities such as barn...

There’s something really sweet that you might want to consider putting on your horse’s wound. Literally:  sweet. You may have some in your kitchen—honey. Honey is being investigated for its...

Q: I recently began offering boarding services at my barn, and I would like to have a local instructor/trainer come and teach lessons to my boarders. I only have a...

Electrolytes. Not just a running joke in the movie Idiocracy, electrolytes are an incredibly important part of maintaining vital functions in your body. Certified athletic trainers and pro athletes swear...

Dogma has always been a curious phenomenon to me. In the horse world, people often get dogmatic, from the “best” way to feed a horse, to the “proper” way to...

We all get excited when our horses whinny our way. The very idea that it demonstrates affection, or anticipation of our arrival, or is even merely a polite greeting between...