I was 5 years old when I first told my parents I wanted to be a veterinarian. As the third of three kids, there were not nearly as many photos of me as there were of my older brother and sister. Nevertheless, nearly every photo of me included an animal of some kind… dogs, horses, […]
Horse Emergency Preparedness: ID Tags That Save Lives Read More »
Our personal experience evacuating from the Alexander Mountain Fire My husband and I were boating on a beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado reservoir, tucked into a cove, enjoying perfect temperatures and a light breeze. Because we were surrounded by mountains, we were blissfully unaware of the plume of smoke that was rising from the direction of
Horse ID Tags… Cheap Insurance for Natural Disasters Read More »
Alan and I rode to Odessa Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park three years ago. In fact, we rode a little past Odessa to take a peek at Fern Lake. The Cameron Peak Fire had caused significant wildfire damage around Fern Lake. I wrote about our first foray to Odessa Lake. It is a very
Odessa Lake Take-Two… A FREEZING COLD and WINDY Ride Read More »
I regularly see posts on Facebook from people inquiring about horse identification options. In my opinion, not nearly enough people are proactive about having identification on their horses. As a retired veterinarian, I am passionate about good animal husbandry practices. Therefore, I am always glad to see someone inquire about what types of identification are
Horse Identification… What is Safe, Stable, and First Responder Approved? Read More »
Finally, I am literally and figuratively back in the saddle. After a several month hiatus from blogging, and an even longer hiatus from riding, I am so happy to be able to share our recent trail rides with you! We enjoyed our first ride of the year in Comanche Peak Wilderness. My blog series about
Comanche Peak Wilderness, a Forest Rebounding From Fire Read More »
Last week, I shared the wisdom of a couple of individuals who have significant insight into what is happening to America’s wild horse population. At the end of last week’s post, I teased you about the “BLM AMLs.” Before my eyes were opened about what is happening to America’s Mustangs, I had no idea about
BLM AMLs… And the Perilous Path to Extinction Read More »
Just as I was incredibly naive when I started down the equine slaughter rabbit hole, I was equally naive about the BLM Mustang mismanagement mess. I have lived for over 6 decades, and I understand that counting on the government to get everything right is very foolish thinking. But I’m not a conspiracy theorist either…
BLM Mustang Mismanagement Read More »
Since the first of the year, I have been doing a deep dive into the incredibly inhumane and completely unnecessary slaughter horse “industry.” In my previous post about this topic, I explained that this “industry” is really not an industry. It isn’t a regulated process. It doesn’t have huge profits, market demand surge, and soaring
Horse Slaughter Feedlots and Transport Atrocities Read More »
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a hot-off-the-presses report detailing the plummeting numbers of horses subjected to slaughter in Mexico and Canada. The main point of that post was to make the very strong argument that the number of horses experiencing this cruelty is negligible in the scheme of managing the entire domestic equine population.
An Investigation Into Horse Slaughter Auctions Read More »
I grew up in Indiana and attended Purdue University for my veterinary degree. We learned about diseases that affected animals all across the country, including fungal diseases. Histoplasmosis was more of a concern in the Midwest than Valley Fever. In fact, a staff member at my first job was tested for histoplasmosis when she gave
Planning to Visit the Southwest? Do You Know About Valley Fever? Read More »
It is past time to ban the slaughter of horses originating in the United States It was a little less than 2 months ago that I began writing my series on horse slaughter and the auction pipeline scams. I have met some amazing people and organizations and learned some discouraging facts about others. The vast
A Simple Answer to All the Excuses for Supporting Horse Slaughter Read More »
I am starting this post in a coffee shop at the airport in Belize City in Central America. Alan and I spent a week hanging out at the beach, scuba diving (only once after 2 cancellations due to wind), and trying to survive the streets of San Pedro in a golf cart. While my mind
Processing What I Have Learned About the Horse Auction/Slaughter Pipeline Read More »
This is the fourth installment of a series about the horse auction and horse slaughter pipelines. In this post, I will discuss recommendations made by the Animal Welfare Institute and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for how to evaluate a horse rescue facility. Many well-meaning individuals enter into the horse rescue world with
Horse Rescue Facilities… A Savior Complex or a Safe Harbor? (Part 4 in a series) Read More »
I began writing this series partly in response to photos that found their way into my Facebook feed. Like many of you, I would see images of skinny, lame, and debilitated horses taken by what I assumed to be legitimate rescue groups at auctions around the country. I was, admittedly, only peripherally aware of the
The Kill Buyers Scam… Preying on Our Emotions (Part 3 in a Series) Read More »
Last week, I launched the first post in a series about the equine slaughter industry. This is not a series I planned to write. My eyes were blown open by a training module I completed as part of my veterinary continuing education requirements. In the week before Part One was posted, I crawled further and
The History of Equine Slaughter in the United States (Part 2 in a series) Read More »
It is hard to be passionate about something about which you are not aware. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a very true adage, and we are all susceptible to that scenario. All of us, including me. Therefore, it was with complete naiveté that I started down a rabbit hole a week ago… I
An Eye-Opening Encounter About Veterinary Involvement in Horse Slaughter Read More »
Out of sight, out of mind? When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, I was glued to my television for days, even weeks. It was incomprehensible to me how one moment, people could be going about their daily lives, and the next moment, they were engulfed in a war. Initially, my thoughts were nearly 100% focused
The Plight of Ukrainian Horses and Companion Animals Read More »
I raised a daughter whose mantra has always been, “Whatever happens, happens.” She had a rough beginning in life and did not join my family until she was a toddler. Between her early childhood trauma and her genetics, she has decided that she has little to no control over how her life unfolds. If she
No Decision IS a Decision Read More »
I recently attended an Emergency Preparedness Clinic sponsored by several organizations within Boulder County, Colorado. The clinic was held because recent events here demonstrated that very, very few people have a disaster emergency plan. Are you one of those people? Late last December, the Marshall Fire burned over six thousand acres and destroyed over a
Disaster Emergency Plan… Are YOU Prepared? Read More »
I have been glued to the news all week. I can’t decide if I should limit my exposure to protect my mental health, or continue to soak up every bit of news and education about what’s happening that I can. Thus far, I’m sticking with the latter plan. The Ukrainian people can’t turn off their
Traumatized Ukrainian Animals and People! Read More »
Alan and I are no stranger to wildfires threatening us, our home, and our animals. Our Colorado home was within a couple of miles of the Cameron Peak Fire in Colorado late in 2020. As close as that was, it is even scarier to have a wildfire burning along the other side of the fence
TERRIFYING WILDFIRE RIGHT NEXT DOOR! Read More »
I first encountered the term risk tolerance as it applied to questions our financial advisor asked my husband Alan and me. Our advisor wanted to know how safe we wanted to be when it came to deciding how to invest our funds. If we risked more, we could potentially make more, but we could also
What is Your Risk Tolerance? Read More »
Right before Alan and I left Colorado for the winter, I wrote about our ride to Kruger Rock in Homestead Meadows. Imagine our dismay to learn that on Tuesday, November 16th, high winds blew a tree into power lines and started a fire in that area. First the floods… As I have mentioned in the
The Kruger Rock Wildfire in Estes Park Read More »
When I researched “Things to do in Jackson Hole, Wyoming” Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary was one of the suggestions. To be sure, since it is 3 hours from Jackson Hole, it isn’t exactly a convenient suggestion. But it just so happened to be right on our route home, so we stopped. The article linked
Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary Read More »
My husband and I own horses so that we can trail ride and enjoy our equine company. Our summers are spent in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. We have done our best to schedule two days a week to hit the trails, working around a myriad of other things on our
WILDFIRES! HURRICANES! Reality Intruding Into Our Lives Read More »
Instead of telling you about local trails this week, I am going to tell you about our trip over the Continental Divide to badly damaged Grand Lake. I have been going to Grand Lake since I was a child. Alan first visited this beautiful location when he was 16 years old. The wildfire of late
Grand Lake, Colorado… After the Wildfire Read More »
Our 12,000 mile, 13 state equitrekking adventure was nearing completion. After visiting Kentucky Horse Park, we headed for Natchez Trace State Park in Tennessee. The original plan was to set up camp, get the horses settled, and then spend a day in Nashville. I searched, and searched, and searched for a place to camp near
Natchez Trace State Park in Tennessee Read More »
Last week, I preempted my original blog schedule to write about the fire that was threatening to consume our home. A week later, Mother Nature’s snow has assisted the incredibly hard-working firefighters and police officers… but we are far from out of danger. But happily, at least for now, our home is still standing! On
A SECOND Devastating Fire Forces Evacuation of Estes Park! Read More »
We had just returned from a 9-mile ride. I was in the trailer preparing to head to the mess hall for lunch. Suddenly, a deafening noise interrupted the usual sounds of horses whinnying for missing stablemates. I rushed out of the trailer in time to see a Lifeline helicopter landing in the open space a
LifeLine Helicopter is NOT the Preferred Way to Leave Camp Read More »
Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming are all experiencing wildfires. Actually, those are not the only states, but some with the worst problem right now. Let me tell you, living on the bubble of imminent evacuation is super stressful. I have preempted several previously scheduled blogs these past few weeks to describe what is
On the Bubble for Fire Evacuation! Read More »
I was prepared to write about something else this week… but then this amazing article appeared in my inbox. Two weeks ago, I wrote about Fire in My Backyard! As of this writing, firefighters have zero containment of the Cameron Peak fire. Briefly, a second fire threatened our safety. Fortunately, they got that one extinguished. However,
What Should You Do if Faced With an Advancing Fire? Read More »
It is very scary to awaken to the smell of smoke. Colorado had more than average snowfall last winter, but the summer has been very dry. As I write this, a forest fire burns a mere 35 miles from our location on Storm Mountain. This photo shows smoke in the sky, as viewed from our
Forest Fire in My Backyard!!! (And Rattlesnakes Too!) Read More »
Last week, I blogged about a gal who had a serious horse wreck. She remembers nothing about what happened. Just as I was completing that blog, I received a Nextdoor neighborhood alert that one of my neighbors had lost her horse at a local trailhead. Both scenarios exemplified for me why having medical information on your
Are Microchips the Answer? Read More »
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans! That was my thought when I read a post on the AHI Facebook page this past week. I know there will be ladies here who can relate to my latest (mis)adventure? while trail riding a week ago. I came off my steady Eddy Ace,
It Will Never Happen to Me… Read More »
My new husband and I are thoroughly enjoying life in the Rocky Mountains. But I was unprepared for the viciousness of the fly population here. I spent two summers living in Estes Park 6 years ago, another 1000 feet higher than I am in Drake. I’m not sure if that extra thousand feet made a big
Those Pesky Flies… Does Anything Work? Read More »
Photo credit Michael Chow/The Republic The Wildfire Crisis Arizona is struggling with three extremely serious wildfires. The Bighorn fire is nearly out, but it was the 8th largest in the state’s history. This fire impacting the Santa Catalina Mountains is in the southern part of the state, near Tuscon. It burned for nearly a month
Arizona Wildfires and COVID Struggles Read More »
Vesicular Stomatitis, or VS, is a viral disease that primarily affects horses and cattle. It may occasionally affect other hooved animals, such as pigs, goats, sheep, llamas, and alpacas. Rarely, humans handling affected animals can experience flu-like symptoms. Although rarely fatal, VS can have a personal and economic impact on livestock owners. I decided to
Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreak! Read More »
One of the first blog posts I wrote over 2 years ago was about NetPosse.com. This organization is dedicated to recovering lost or stolen animals. I am on their mailing list, and just yesterday I received an email from them. There is a missing horse in Idaho. The information provided is as follows: Near Almo,
NetPosse Alert… Have You Seen This Horse? Read More »
I guess Alan and I were just having too much fun. Not that moving is fun… but we’ve had a pretty good run of good times since we met. This past week or two brought our relatively idyllic life to a screeching halt! Still, we had each other to lean on, and mostly it involved stuff, so
The Week From Hell Read More »
Have you ever seen the Facebook post from the “Save the Possums” group, describing how valuable opossums can be? For instance, the article touts the fact that opossums eat many insects. Would you like fewer ticks around your barn? Feed an opossum! The trouble is, you may already be feeding your barn guest if you
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis or EPM Read More »
I have written many posts about my animals and friends and the experiences of this past year. I thought perhaps I would provide an update to some of those stories… Kara the Puppy In April, I wrote about the addition of Kara the Border collie to my household. She joined my family when she was
Once again, fires are causing mass destruction in California. Those of us not affected by these raging infernos are not aware of all of the ramifications of this disaster. An article in the Wall Street Journal really opened my eyes to the impact these fires have on Californians. I had heard about the blackouts imposed
The Hero Horse in California Read More »
My 7-year-old gelding, Finn, has been the topic of numerous blogs. In this post, I even declared that Finn’s objectionable behavior was improving! Perhaps my mindset was “fake it ’til you make it?” I have put two years of work into this horse. Sadly, last week while camping at 4-J Big Piney, I realized Finn
When to Hold and When to Fold Read More »
I recently returned from a trip to Florida. On the plane home, I visited with a young lady who was born and raised in Florida. She lamented about the hassle of having to board up her windows every year during hurricane season. Actually, she was planning on moving out of the state. As we spoke,
Are We Ruining Our Planet? Read More »
In my previous two blogs, I discussed some of the logistics associated with evacuating large animals in the face of a natural disaster. Part One discusses having current vaccination and identification information on all of your horses. Additionally, it discusses the need for a working trailer and an effective method of communicating with neighbors and
Emergency Evacuations with Small Animals Read More »
Thankfully, Hurricane Dorian created less havoc on the east coast than residents feared. Sadly, the people and animals in the Bahamas did not fare as well. As I write this, 50 people are reported dead with the death toll expected to climb. In this incredibly sad story, Grand Bahama Humane Society workers describe their heartbreak
Disaster Emergency Preparedness Part Two Read More »
Last week, Floridians purchased a record number of ID MyHorse Emergency Identification Tags. Additionally, residents of the Carolinas in the potential path of Hurricane Dorian ordered tags for their horses. The viral videos of Hurricane Harvey, showing stranded and stressed horses, were fresh on everyone’s mind. Recently, my Memories Facebook feed offered up this rescue
Disaster Emergency Preparedness Read More »
As I write this, it is hotter than Hades here in Kansas. I am really missing the crisp, cool air of over 7000 feet elevation in Colorado. Very few bugs, incredible scenery, and a multi-sensory experience. You can SEE the beauty, HEAR the water and the hooves on the rocks, FEEL the movement of your
The Last Ride in the Rockies Read More »
I met my friend Sandy last summer when my boyfriend Alan and I spent a week riding and camping at Grand Lake, Colorado. She’s a California gal, quite an accomplished rider. She fox hunts and rides dressage. She and her friend Sandra leased the campground trailer which provided access to more distant trailheads. They invited
Bad Things Happen to Good People Read More »
When computers first came on the scene for the average consumer in the ’90s, I had absolutely no idea what to do with one. Fast forward a few years and I was confident enough to rebuild the hard drive when the thing crashed. I LOVE computers! And I love my mobile phone. So much so
Equestrian Apps… Technology Rocks! Read More »
Apparently, the blog The Crisis in California struck quite a nerve with many people. A few people asked questions about how to help, and hopefully, I can provide a little information about that in this blog. I was grateful that no one assumed (or at least commented) that I had ulterior motives in writing that blog.
More on the California Wildfires Read More »
This is not a post I intended to write. It is a post that will likely generate some criticism and negative comments, but it is absolutely not my intent to offend anyone or “take advantage” of a horrible situation. This is a post about the horrific events occurring in California and my heartache over the
The Crisis in California Read More »
Here in the Midwest I don’t think we are ever going to get out of winter. Maybe I shouldn’t be so myopic and include much of the country in my lament, as it appears winter is hanging on nearly everywhere. I am so anxious to get back to some regular riding. My two geldings have
More on Microchipping Horses Read More »
I grew up in the pre-cell phone era. Therefore, I grew up in the “don’t ride by yourself” era. There would be no way of contacting anyone if you got into trouble on a trail by yourself. Not all that long ago, I realized the time had come that I could probably break that rule.
NetPosse.com – Stolen Horse International Read More »
Nearly every time I have gone for a week or more of horse camping, I hear a sad story. A horse and rider parted ways, and the horse was lost in the woods. What a nightmare that would be… worrying about broken legs, snagged bridles, and rolling saddles. I would be worried to death about
Don’t Let Your Horse Be Lost Without ID! Read More »
ID MyHorse Emergency Medical and Identification Tags have only been on the market for a month. To my knowledge, there is nothing out there quite like these tags. Consequently, I have been looking into advertising to get the word out about their existence. During a conversation with a Californian, she strongly urged me to put
Microchipping Horses Read More »
