Summer fly control

As an Equine Massage Practitioner, I am all about making horses more comfortable. Here are my three favorite strategies to fight flies: Fly predators, fly sheets, and night turnout. In this post, I'll talk about fly predators
Fly predators are tiny wasps that feed on the larvae of nuisance flies, such as stable and house flies. I have been using them for five years, and every year I am amazed at the results. I will hang fly-paper in my barn, just to see how well the fly predators are working, and it is not unusual for me to not find a SINGLE fly on the fly paper--all summer long. Cheap (under $30 a month for five horses) and really effective. Next week: Fly sheets.

This is an interesting article on alternative therapies for horses, recently published in the venerable New York Times. Can the mainstream be far behind?
www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/sports/10horses.htm

liniment usage

This is an interesting article on the benefits of using liniment, particularly Absorbine, when your horse is massaged. Personally, I am a big fan of Sore No More, which contains arnica, among other beneficial herbs. I am cautious about using other liniments, as they can burn if not used judiciously.


http://www.equestrianmag.com/article/absorbine-veterinary-liniment-equine-massage-02-09.html

Heading outside to ride my three horses, wearing heavy Carhartt coveralls. In May. Seems wrong, somehow.

Time to go give the horses another flake of hay.

Soggy day...Horses in the barn listening to country music...good day to clean my boots and a bridle or two...and lay on the couch and study my equine anatomy book

What does your horse most like/dislike about his/her job?

So here's what got me thinking about this. It seems to me that, quite often, we as riders choose vocations for our horses without giving enough thought as to whether or not it is a job that our horse wants to do. And I'm not talking about being overly indulgent here if your horse is lazy, for instance; your horse doesn't get to run the show! But I am suggesting that you listen to your intuition (without editing it--when you ask yourself a question such as this, listen to the FIRST THING that pops into your head). What we think of as an intuitive response, is very often our horse's way of communicating with us.

Hi everyone! It's a lovely day here in central Vermont. Hope you're all out enjoying your horses!