We hear it all of the time: “I don’t make any money off of boarding, its a business of love.” And we as the boarders shake our heads in frustration, wondering how our hard earned money could be useless to the farm owner or manager. How is it not enough? This is insane. This is ludicrous. I pay A TON in board, amiright? I was one of you. With one horse in active competition status, one horse always for sale, and two retirees (one for physical issues, one for mental), I was writing a fairly hefty check every month to my barn owner. So when a water trough was found dirty, or the wrong blanket was ..read more

The struggle has been real.  We are in the midst of a global pandemic, horse shows are getting cancelled or indefinitely postponed, and mayhem seems to surround us.  And yet, the one thing that seems to be getting us through 2020 is the same thing that we can rely on through any ordeal – our horses.  For those of us who compete, it was a moment in time to take a step back and fix problem spots.  For those of us who utilize this as a hobby, it was a moment in time to look inwards at our horsemanship and attempt to improve it.  And for those of us who sell, it ..read more

A week ago today, I received a message that made my heart sink. After months, if not years, of preparation, I was told that my entry to the long format Training Three Day event was actually rejected.  It was only a matter of hours before the jogs, and with that simple message, my singular goal of 2019 was crushed. Now, to be clear, I knew this could happen. I had spent 2017 preparing for the T3D only to have a similar thing happen.  Because in 2017, you needed 4 MER’s (Minimum Eligibility’s) to qualify for the T3D.  This included a dressage test with a score lower than 50, a stadium test with ..read more

I love thoroughbreds. I love watching them gallop at seemingly g-Force type speeds whether it is over a manicured racetrack, a hilly paddock, or the laneways of a 5* event. I love breeding them. The miticulous veterinary care and painstaking attention to detail. The veterinary science and research that goes into every ultrasound, therapeutic, and cover. And then that tiny black dot on the screen and another fist bump across the machine. I love foaling them. The 2am phone calls leading to a scramble for Carhartts and car keys. A race against the clock as you cruise 60mph around the farm. And t ..read more

A few weeks ago, I presented some of my research at the Society for Theriogenology’s annual conference in Savannah, GA. I was speaking on a topic I am both super passionate about as well as quite knowledgeable-the inflammatory response to bacterial infections during pregnancy in the horse. It is the reason I went to graduate school in the first place. It combines my three passions: immunology, reproduction, and horses. And I knew I was prepared. I was in the competitive category, having been selected as one of the top abstracts of the conference. And I got on that stage and started my talk. I ..read more

I posted a video of me flatting a fresh off the track thoroughbred yesterday and was immediately messaged by a stranger telling me that my stirrups were uneven. New baby OTTB Two years ago, I posted a sales ad only to be asked by a potential buyer why I look down the entire ride. And 4 years ago, I posted a photo of my toughest horse in jest of a particularly hard ride, only to have a massage therapist tell me he was obviously in pain. And each time, I just wonder why I even share my life at all. Don’t get me wrong, I know that this blog and my social media which accompany it are partly to b ..read more

I came off the cross country course at fence 7. My horse felt great in the warm up. My horse felt amazing fence 1-6. Big tables, ascending stairs, a massive brush angled line to a double brush. Tick, tick, tick. He jumped out of stride. He jumped well. I rode with efficiency. I rode well. Until I didn’t. A hanging log caught us off guard, and with it, a 20. I represented and popped over, only to have the bank 3 strides later stump him. And when I went back for a redo, I heard a jump judge say I was eliminated. She proclaimed I had had 3 stops. I had not, and this was confirmed by my barn owne ..read more

The Lasix debate has reached its fever pitch, and I have avoided it thus far. Backed off by accusations that I am merely a scientist and not a race trainer, I have remained fairly quiet. But. I am a horsemen. I am a scientist. And maybe those two things needs combined for an opinion. An opinion based on fact. Not anecdote. Not legend. And more importantly, not propaganda. Furosemide (Lasix) is a drug used to prevent or at least minimize outward bleeding of horses in strenuous work. This bleeding is called epistaxis, and mostly occurs when a horse suffers from grade 4 Exercise-Induced Pulmonary ..read more

For the past three years, I have tried to get down South for some spring training. Two years ago, I ran out of money. Last year, I ran out of time. And this year, life happened. Each time, I hang my head and resign myself to longer road hacks in the freezing cold while the arena sheens with ice.  Each time, I throw the heavy weight on my mount while shoving hand warmers in my gloves. And each time, I admit that I will not be ready for that first event in April. And I get so frustrated. Frustrated at myself, frustrated at life. Frustrated with the consequences of my decisions, and frustrated th ..read more