Jeff Griffith’s Doughnut

For some time, folks have been telling me to check out horseman Jeff Griffith. I did and loved what I saw and heard. Griffith worked alongside Buck Brannaman for years, managed the La Cense Horsemanship program in western Montana, and developed an instructional DVD series […]

One woman’s journey to ‘Feel’

Jackie St. Thomas was one of several riders to work with Leslie Desmond at a recent clinic in Marion, Massachusetts. St. Thomas initially discovered Desmond years ago through “True Horsemanship Through Feel,” the book Desmond co-wrote with Bill Dorrance. Then she signed up for a […]

Don’t toss it!

Toss the milk but not the cereal. That’s what I’d do if both had passed their expiration dates. Turns out we can be equally as selective when it comes to horse medications, too. Dr. David Ramey weighed in with this article. Both he and Dr. […]

The Horse World’s well-meaning “Ivory Towers”

The term “Ivory Towers” refers to a place of secluded learning where practical matters are treated with elitist detachment. It’s another way of saying that researchers, with all their formulas and figurin’, are out of touch with reality. But we’re noticing a welcome trend lately […]

Snow, Sun, and Snoozing

I have a pet theory on snow-and-sun-induced snoozing: During a winter storm, horses get a bit stressed. It’s windy. Visibility is poor. Conditions are in flux. But afterwards, the sun comes out and everything is quiet, peaceful, and bright. The sun warms horses’ coats. The […]

Instinct Uncorked

Working with animals is like opening a bottle of champagne. Think of the bubbles as instinct. Sending the cork into the ceiling is not preferable. Keeping the fizz intact is what makes the champagne taste best. It makes a lot less of a mess, too. […]

Haystretcher Virtues

Waking up to no horses in the pasture is not a great way to start the day. All five were gone when I peeked out in the pre-dawn hours. Somehow a gate had become unfastened. I pulled on boots and coat and raced out in […]

Treatment Matters

I was talking with Chris Lombard the other day about horsemanship. The dictionary calls it the ‘skill of riding horses.’ But we know it as the relationship with the horse and the skills around that relationship. “It’s not only how to handle horses,” said Lombard. […]

Lyme Side Effect, Part I

Researching the Lyme article provided some new perspective into: How the animal science business at universities is still business. How beating down the disease can have a crippling side effect. First, the business side effect: Cornell University and the University of Connecticut are obviously affiliated […]

Lyme Side Effect, Part II

CVMDL Director Sandy Bushmich reminded me of a rare phenomenon affecting about one percent of Lyme equine patients, she said. Read Lyme article. Read Part I. It’s called the Herxheimer effect. (Named after Karl Herxheimer, a German doctor who discovered it while developing a treatment […]