This is Not the Blog Post You're Looking For

Soooo you may have noticed I haven't been around much lately. Nope, I haven't been sued into silence (many have threatened, none have succeeded!) and I haven't been murdered.  Events have sort of ganged up on me lately, and I'm taking some time to make life decisions that require a lot of my concentration. Just know I'm really, really sorry for leaving you in the lurch... but I'm going to continue doing it for a while. After this post, I'll be taking some more break time.

This is how I feel right now.

photos from www.menoutdoors.com

Before I go on break though, there are a few things I can report on real quick:

This weekend is the Lodi fair, a great place for kids to show. Low cost, low pressure, no adults allowed in the rings. Fun!

Saturday Sept. 27th is the Midwest Horse Welfare Fun Show and Tack Sale at the Waupaca fairgrounds. Volunteer, show, donate, watch, buy!

Saint Francis Horse Rescue is very, very close to retirement-- now is your last chance to adopt from them before the owners move away! Check out their horses and ponies at stfrancishorserescue.org.

Brandy Nicole Woolums Blum (or whatever alias she's currently using) is still scamming people. Beware this Wisconsin tack trader!

I'm seeing more and more people use "natural" or "holistic" remedies on their horses before consulting a vet. That's probably fine if you're mixing up a new lemon flyspray to try, but for the love of God, please get real medical assistance for real medical conditions. Here are two examples of natural remedies that are bad ideas:

Tea tree oil is a neurotoxin that is potentially deadly to animals (and humans) when ingested, or if too much is absorbed into the skin. It's also been shown to cause estrogen-like effects. In addition there are NO scientific studies that prove that it's effective at much of anything. Read more about the unsubstantiated hype and the dangers of essential oils at this blog and this one.

Diatomaceous earth has not been proven to do crap as a dewormer. Just buy some goddam paste. You can get very cheap fecal tests to ensure you're feeding your horse only the necessary stuff.




Want to know more about the multi-billion dollar natural remedies industry? Read this book: Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine by
Dr. Paul Offit, division chief of infectious disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and inventor of a rotavirus vaccine.

Speaking of the effects of nature, at this time every year I remind you folks: watch out for wild parsnip! It's everywhere in Wisconsin, especially along trails, pastures, and roadsides... exactly where we ride! If you or your horse breaks the stems of wild parsnip, the sap will burn skin and leave scars that last for months. Read more here.

Let's end on a happy note:

N.E.W. Equine Resource, Inc., formerly Barth Barn, is now a registered non-profit horse rescue/education resource. Check 'em out on Facebook! They just shared this hilarious video in honor of National Farriers Week.