Celebrating 100 Years of the Canadian Government’s Only Working Horse Ranch

In Part 1 of this series (Footwork to Free Up the Shoulders) I wrote about remembering what it is like to be a student, and shared some of my personal trials from joining a boxing club this past winter when I stepped into a completely unknown field. These lessons illustrate that horses benefit when their riders are more patient, just as students benefit when coaches are patient.

It is often said that if you ask a question to ten horse owners, you will get ten different answers. However, one thing we can all agree upon is that horses are expensive! Affording the initial purchase cost is the least of expenses. Calculating the maintenance costs over the horse's lifetime is a more realistic look at a long-term budgeting plan.

We humans think nothing of having our blood drawn once a year to have a “screen” of tests run in order to give us an accurate account of where some of our important baseline “numbers” stand. In fact, we often look forward with anticipation (or maybe dread) to knowing what our cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, or other levels are at that time, and seeing how they have changed for better or worse since our last tests. Did you know the same type of testing is available for your horse?

What exactly is regenerative medicine? It’s been a buzz phrase for a while now, yet it remains somewhat of a mystery to many horse owners as an application in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries suffered by performance horses in particular.

The Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS) was formed in 2002 after public outcry over the destruction of several wild horses that lived in the mountains and foothills of the eastern slopes of Alberta. Their mission is to ensure the provision of all aspects of conservation and humane treatment of wild horses in Alberta, and they are committed to the preservation of these magnificent animals in their natural environment.

Canada’s cattle industry began long ago and far away, its tradition and history interwoven in the stories and folklore of explorers, fur traders, gold seekers and settlers.

Tequila is a Thoroughbred mare that I was asked to shoe a couple of months back. She stands splay-footed, is badly over at the knees, and her hind legs were quite sickle-hocked. Her feet were smashed, flared, chipped, and cracked. She was just the kind of project that I wanted to do a “hoof makeover” on – I do love a challenge.

Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), also known as Swamp Fever, is an infectious disease of horses, donkeys, and mules caused by a virus. Horses infected with the EIA virus carry it for life. Most infected horses show no symptoms, but they remain infectious, endangering the health of other horses.