As usual, I’m a little behind in my Practical Horseman reading, so I just read a really great article on grooming by Laurie Pitts in the April 2008 issue. And to my surprise, it doesn’t take a whole lot more than good nutrition, staying fit, and a little bit of elbow grease, even for an [...]

Posted in Horse Care 1 Comment »

PETA seriously needs to find something more productive to do than bother Eight Belles’ poor owners and trainer. I came across this today on the PETA site:
“Eight Belles’ trainer, Larry Jones, has admitted injecting the horse with Phenylbutazone–a powerful anti-inflammatory drug–just 27 hours before the Kentucky Derby, but no investigation has been undertaken to determine [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Horse News, Horse Racing, Jackie's Thoughts 8 Comments »

Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown experienced a supposedly minor setback this weekend when he developed a slight quarter crack on the inside of his front left foot. It has since been treated, and his farrier and trainer are confident that he will be in shape to run in the upcoming Belmont Stakes.
And he might even [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Horse News, Horse Racing, Jackie's Thoughts 13 Comments »

With so much talk of the dangers of thoroughbred racing and eventing and the cruel training practices littered across all equestrian disciplines, it’s easy to lose sight of how many people go above and beyond to take care of their horses.
We see the tragedy of Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby and want to blame [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Horse News, Jackie's Thoughts 3 Comments »

Recently I’ve seen conversations cropping up more and more often about the benefits of barefoot trimming versus traditional shoeing. The natural hoof movement seems to be gaining ground slowly and surely, advocating the shock absorption and other benefits of an unshod hoof. Many horses with severe hoof issues have recovered and are now completely sound [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Horse News, Horse Racing 3 Comments »

The death of Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles is just the highest-profile accident in a rash of incidents all across the equestrian industry bringing the safety of horses (and riders) to the forefront. I’ve talked a lot recently about the dangers of eventing. That’s been big news between Darren Chiacchia’s accident and several equine deaths [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Horse Racing 9 Comments »

Three years ago, after graduating college, getting a full-time job, and getting ready to get married I was settling down officially in my college town. And I decided it was high time that I found some horses to ride in the area.
I managed to connect with Dave and Tracie Cross, who were beside themselves to [...]

Posted in Horse Care, Jackie's Thoughts 6 Comments »