Brain bucket, crash helmet, head armour, noggin shade, bump cap. Protective helmets have many derogatory names and a long history of ridicule. For decades, hockey players’ sweaty locks flopped about as players slammed into the ice and were walloped by pucks. Skiers protected their brains from colliding with trees by pompom-topped toques, and cyclists wore a leather hairnet to protect their brains from smashing into the pavement. Horseback riders boasted trendy top-hats in the late 1700s, while the fashionable bowler was invented in 1849. Apparently, the bowler’s “tasteful design meant that it didn’t blow off easily.” Fortunately, protective headgear design and social acceptance have evolved.

The Environment and Climate Change Canada website lists the top ten weather stories of 2021. Topping the list is the extreme heat (Record Heat Under the Dome) that hit the province of British Columbia in June and is described as the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. Second on the list is BC’s Flood of Floods in November. These two climate events were also ranked among the world’s most devastating this year.

For some horses, certain flies cause an incessant, unbearable itch that won’t go away no matter how hard or long they scratch. This condition, called Recurrent Seasonal Pruritis or “Sweet Itch,” is a hypersensitivity to the bite of the tiny Culicoides fly, commonly known as midges, “punkies,” or “no-see-ums.”

I smiled, walking past the airport hat kiosk, en route to a judging adventure at an exhibition in Eastern Canada. I’d be wearing several hats and judging a kaleidoscope of classes at the show — equitation, road hack, reining, Western riding, working hunter, pleasure driving, driven dressage, conformation, showmanship, miniature horses… and more!

How to Bounce Back - As I sit down to write about burnout, I step back through time into memories of moments where I felt overwhelmed by frustration, exhaustion, and an agonizing feeling of not achieving. A feeling of not measuring up to expectations. When I was in this mental place, every unsuccessful show and difficult ride left me feeling stressed, anxious, and like a failure. The thoughts, Why do I do this? and I can’t do this any more! played on repeat in my head. I was spending so much time and money and I wanted success badly.

“Most horses have been exposed to the equine herpesvirus,” says Dr. Diego Gomez-Nieto, researcher at the Ontario Veterinary College. Gomez has been part of a research study on the equine herpesvirus (EHV) which discovered the nasal microbiota of infected horses differed significantly from those of a healthy control group. The study came together quickly and was conducted on a horse farm in Ontario that was experiencing an outbreak. The January 2021 research paper explains nasal bacterial microbiota of healthy horses is richer and more diverse than previously reported using culture-based methodology.

Flexural limb deformity occurs in two forms. The first form, also known as contracted tendons, clubfoot, or knuckling, is the inability to extend a limb fully. The condition may be present at birth (congenital) due to improper positioning in the uterus (which can lead to dystocia in the mare), abnormal fetal development, disease or malnutrition in the dam; or acquired as the result of nutrition (abrupt changes in amount or quality of feed leading to rapid growth), polyarthritis, trauma, or disease. It is a common condition in foals, usually occurring anytime from birth to 14 months of age.

A common cause of diarrhea in foals less than six months old. Equine rotavirus damages the lining of the intestines, inhibiting digestion and absorption of food. It is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in foals less than six months of age. Foals become infected when they ingest materials or lick surfaces contaminated with infected feces.

Nearly everything to do with horses seems to be continually rising in cost. Yet cutting corners in any way that might compromise your horse’s health and welfare is never the solution to saving money. So how can we add higher costs to what is already a tight budget, and how much further will our finances stretch?