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Two Lane Livin'
Your Horse Country Column archives 2010
Column Archives - Includes "Running barefoot together, Horse Fly problems, The
Unwanted Horse, Natural Parasite Reducer, World Equestrian Games, How a
Horse's Stomach Works", and more... 2011
Column Archives - Includes "An animal’s calendar is weather
and temperature defined, Unconditional Love and how to get it from your
horse, The importance of good dental hygiene for your horse, Root crops as
fodder for horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and other critters, including
YOU!", and more... Written
by Dawna B. Smith, Journalist and Reporter, writer of the monthly
"Your Horse Country" column for Two
Lane Livin' Magazine To
view complete column, click on the month issue link provided.
May
2010 -
West Virginia
is Your Horse Country! Several
years ago when gas was almost $4 per gallon, three Kentucky Conner High
School students, decided it was cheaper to ride their horses to school
than to drive their gas guzzling pick-up trucks.
They made national news. Would
the world have listened better if the media had announced that “Horses
aren’t just hay burners but are valued community members and expeditious
compost makers”? Read
more.
June
2010 - Your horse and you, running barefoot together, just like God
intended.
Before my pony, I’d run barefoot on our sandy gravel road, enjoying how
the fine scratchy sand felt between my toes, helping cushion the ball of
my foot. My small feet left many imprints in the damp tire tracks of our
driveway, just like T-Rex must have done many millennia ago. We never shod
our horses. After winter Dad would trim up their feet, and we’d ride
gravel and paved roads. Conditioned, our horses didn’t go lame or have
hoof problems. Read
more.
July 2010 - These
hot July days have me humming “Summer in the Country”.
Hot town, summer
in the country; Flies on the horse’s back getting dirty and gritty
;
been
sprayed down, isn't it a pity
; doesn't seem to be a fly left in the city! We have 350 of only 3,000
blood sucking horse fly species found worldwide, plus barn flies, bot
flies, deer flies, and the famous fruit fly. Where’s Carmen Miranda when
you need her? Read
more.
August
2010 - The Unwanted Horse.
Thin remnants trapped within a fence placed by human hands. Starving heads
rise hopefully as people drive by grassless lands. They’re eyes beg for
food, water, and a little “human” compassion.These unwanted horses
needlessly suffering across our nation. What is an “unwanted horse”?
Perhaps it’s a faded child’s dream, a middle aged compensator, or a
spontaneous purchase with little understanding of the true cost involved. Read
more.
September 2010
- Pumpkin and your horse,
Mother Nature’s way of keeping parasites at bay! September
is when Mother Nature tosses her colors like fruit loops across the hills.
Soon, brilliant sumac reds, golden poplar, and orange maple leaves the
color of pumpkins will capture our senses as we leave the humid summer
behind, relishing the crisp autumn air. Yes, soon there will be PUMPKINS
again! Hurray!
It wasn’t until last year when there was a severe phytophthora blight on
pumpkin fields that we felt the blight’s effect and could not find
canned pumpkin. Thank goodness we could still find pumpkin seed, one of
the most nutritious anthelmintic
seed you can find. Anthelmintic
or vermifuge is an agent that destroys or causes the expulsion of
parasitic intestinal worms. Read
more.
October
2010 - World Equestrian Games & International Equestrian
Festival – SIXTEEN days of pure horse candy! The BIG question is
….will YOU be attending the World Equestrian Games (WEG) or the
International Equestrian Festival (IEF), which are both being held in
Lexington, Kentucky, from September 25th through October 10th, 2010?
Whether you’re exhibiting, competing, or a horse enthusiast, we’d like
your opinion of either of these historic events. You can provide us your
comments by visiting www.YourHorseCountry.com and submitting your
information and op-ed articles. Items that we feel would have a public
interest, time permitting, we will contact you to schedule an interview. Read
more.
November 2010
- Over
500,000 spectators at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games!
By
the closing day of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, total
attendance topped half a million, averaging 35,000 people per day spread
out over the Kentucky Horse Park’s 1,224 acres,
which includes competition facilities, 260-site resort campground, and
offices of more than 30 national and regional equine organizations and
associations.
Read more.
December 2010
- People and horses should graze small amounts frequently to help reduce
health problems.
Used
to perpetually grazing and consuming small meals, many horses suffer when
subjected to reduced forage intake or when fed too much at one time. Their
digestive system is monogastric not ruminant, like a cows.
A horse's "upper gut", stomach and small intestine, is where
most of the few nutrients are digested and absorbed. The unique
characteristics of its "hindgut" or large intestine allows for
the utilization of cellulose and other fermentable feed similar to the way
cows digest using their forestomachs. Read
more.
January
2011 - A New Year’s Resolve. An animal’s calendar is weather
and temperature defined. An animal’s calendar is weather and
temperature defined, their bodies adjusting as needed to the changing
seasons. It’s amazing how quickly horses can shed their fuzzy winter
coats in preparation for warmer weather. This fall I noticed how quickly
they put on their winter coats. We’ve been taught to dress in layers,
take off when needed, and add when temperatures drop below our comfort
zones. It’s only during winter that I can run my fingers through their
plush coats, the hair thick and velvety, wondering how many more
opportunities will I have to feel that special texture. Read
more.
February 2011 -
Unconditional Love and how to get it from your horse. Horses
have many uses, from draft animals to gentle and willing therapeutic
assistants that help bring smiles to the sick or physically challenged,
but they also excel at unconditional love for their herd leader. Horses
are herd animals and hate being alone. When the cats follow us, they’ll
prick their ears forward and eagerly snuffle these smaller herd members.
The cats will twine themselves around the sturdy legs making sure that
each has been marked appropriately. Yes, the horses belong to them as
well. Read more.
March 2011 - The
importance of good dental hygiene for your horse. Spring
reminds me to check my calendar for my annual dental visit, and to call
the equine dentist to have the horses’ teeth floated. Unlike human
teeth, a horse’s teeth will continue to grow. Pastured horses and not
stable kept often don’t require frequent teeth floating, as the natural
act of grazing helps wear the teeth. It’s the front teeth that are used
to clip the grass close to the ground, while the cheek teeth on the top
and bottom act like mill stones to help break down the course forage for
easier digestion. Everyone worries about colic. Good dental hygiene
allowing for proper chewing of food can help prevent costly and sometimes
deadly colic problems. Read
more.
April 2011 -
Root crops as fodder for horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and other
critters, including YOU! Flat
land, a valued commodity in
West Virginia, is prized for home sites and gardens, but most often is
reserved for narrow hay fields that hug creeks and our serpentine roads.
Mountain top hay meadows aren’t usually conducive to producing large
round bales, as they tend to want to roll down the hill. They also tend to
be drier and not produce as much forage, as our water soaked valleys do.
So, hay is often square baled on hill sides where flatlanders would not
even dream of driving a tractor or four-wheeler. Twenty-two percent of
West Virginia
residents are disabled, and it’s possible that our rough farming terrain
and joy of outdoor sports are contributing factors.
Read more.
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