From birth to death, veterinarians are Go-To sources for our horses’ medical decisions. They answer a broad spectrum of questions from disease to forage, hoof to tail, optic to colic. Inevitably, we say, “While you’re here, Doc…” because there is always something more they can […]
Read moreCategory Archives: Equine Welfare
Incorrigibles beware: We Care
During 2010 and 2011, many of us worked long hours to help serve up some justice to the many animals killed and mistreated by Brett and Alexis Ingraham. Read more about the Ingrahams here. The Ingrahams were found guilty of animal cruelty. But did they […]
Read morePeters on weighty matters
Dr. Steve Peters, the neuropsychologist whose collaboration with horseman Martin Black produced Evidence-Based Horsemanship, joined the call for better horsemanship through better personal health with his recent Personal Statement, posted on the Evidence-Based Horsemanship facebook page. It echoed recent BestHorsePractices posts, which explained research and […]
Read moreHorse Skeleton offers nightmares, but no answers
For nights after discovering this skeleton, I had trouble sleeping. Couldn’t get the image out of my head. Instead, I extrapolated back to this horse’s final days – it died a pointless and likely painful, drawn-out death, getting tangled in branches by its blankets. Ridiculously, […]
Read moreThe Triple Crown Boycott
For the love of horses, I’m boycotting the Triple Crown this year. There will be no watching the Derby, Preakness, or Belmont in this house. Why? The thoroughbred industry is one of the most irresponsible breeders in the country. Each year, thousands of foals are […]
Read moreFinally, a trainer’s event with rescued horses
For years, I’ve been reporting on colt-starting events and saying to myself: Amazing stuff, but rescued horses are way more challenging than these untouched two-year olds. They’ve got baggage by the bucketful, troubled pasts, bad habits, and even horsey PTSD sometimes. Why not work with […]
Read moreGERL gets things done
One of the great rewards of running NickerNews and BestHorsePractices is rubbing elbows with good people and good organizations. The Georgie Equine Rescue League, Ltd. is one of them. Boy, do they get things done! They distribute an excellent quarterly newsletter with updates on rescues, […]
Read moreDr. Rachel Flaherty opens solo practice
Dr. Rachel Flaherty, for years a popular vet with Maine Equine Associates, has moved on to a solo practice. Flaherty, a 37-year old graduate of the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, has opened Back Cove Equine Veterinary Care. At MEA, Flaherty worked alongside Dr. […]
Read moreSave Your Ass or how ’bout a Mammoth Donkey?
Let’s give a nod of thanks and appreciation to all those animal rescues, toiling daily, even hourly, to make lives better for animals who’ve been tossed in the trash by others. As a new Long Ear owner, I’d like to give a special shout-out to […]
Read moreLike Whale, Like Horse
Blackfish is this summer’s hot documentary. It’s a movie about killer whales and how captivity makes them miserable and crazy. It’s an easy concept for us horse owners to understand. A recent Los Angeles Times piece suggested humans should get out of the whale captivity […]
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