This is Sophie. Sophie is pretty amazing. She is only seventeen, but she is passionate about horses and horse racing. Sophie is spending part of her summer holiday at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center doing equine laminitis research with Dr. Jim Orsini and Dr. Hannah Galantino-Homer. And if that were not impressive enough,…
Category: Horses
Gardening Violence, or How Sunfish Makes Use of His Ridiculously Strong Lips
Alas, poor Nicky and her woes of gardening in Montana in the spring. Being English, she likely thinks of carpeted green fields studded with daffodils, crocus, muscari, friendly hedgehogs, and quaint talking bunnies. Then, of course, she married Barry and moved to Montana and spring has never been the same since. Now she has porcupines,…
My Nephew, the Poo Swirler, or Why Sand Isn’t Good for Horses
Ah yes, a proud moment. My brother sent me this video clip of my nephew, better known as his son, helping him out by swirling an equine exam sleeve filled with poo. The questions I had likely mimic your own, but here they are nonetheless: Why is the nephew swirling poo? Does he swirl poo…
Wee Molly and the Silver Shoes, or Dr. Chris’s First Day
My first reaction to seeing this photo was, “How adorable! Dr. Chris, the vet, is standing next to a pony!” Then I looked a little more closely, and that is when I had a few questions. “Why is this pony wearing duct tape boots? Why does she have ice in her boots?” As it turns…
Colic Versus Tying Up: How to Tell the Difference
Author’s note: This is not an exhaustive, academic piece on colic and tying up. It is simply a quick primer on two equine diseases meant to give you some basic differences between the two. The very first article I ever wrote for publication was about how to tell the difference between colic and tying up. It…
Potomac Horse Fever: Not Just on the East Coast
An email came in a couple of days ago from a woman who wanted to talk with me about a blog post. A couple of years ago, Bridger Vet published a list of recommended equine vaccinations, and that list included the Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) vaccine as an optional, risk-based suggestion. She was curious as…
What Happens Next, or Making Certain that Your Animals Are Cared for When You Are No Longer Around
Mum called up the other day, talking about her recent drive south to ride her horse in sunnier climes with some old friends. While driving, a relative had called, asking for some advice. One of their friends was in rather desperate medical circumstances and was looking for homes for his dogs, cats, and horses, but was…
Burnt Ends, or Preventing Your Horse from Getting Sunburned
As a redhead with fair skin and freckles (I’ve been known to sport the nickname of “Magnesium” and to wear it well), I go through a LOT of sunblock. Neutrogena UVA/UVB Helioplex SPF 100 is my general go-to bottle, and I use the Neutrogena Wet Skin sunblock when I go out paddle boarding on Lake Austin….
The Lusty Percheron, or Why You Should Be Nice to the Post Office
Doc Randall tells this story about mares, stallions, unwarranted breeding programs, and the sensibilities of the rural post office. A client had a nice band of Quarter Horse mares, the admiration of many a rancher and cowboy for several counties. Unfortunately, ranchers and stranded cowboys were not the only ones to admire these cavvy-savvy…
The Road Less Travelled, or Why Learning to Ride Is a Very Good Thing
When Nicky wasn’t at the vet clinic, she used to help out at the Lonesome Spur guest ranch. She has a soft spot for the guest ranch because that is how she met her husband, Barry, plus she is honestly one of the nicest people I know. Sometimes I think she just likes the stark…
Morning Light
Mum is a morning person. She gets up with the dogs and walks out to feed and check the water on some of the pasture horses. Lenny here is one of those lucky few, illustrating why the morning light of a long summer day is to be treasured. May we all be so lucky to…
Clostridial Myositis, or Banamine Injections Gone Wrong
What happens when a run-of-the-mill Banamine injection goes wrong, causing clostridial myositis in a horse…
Strayhounds 