University of Calgary Vet Med researchers observed the behaviour of horses used in rodeos over three years - Rodeo is more than just a sport, especially in Alberta. Rodeo events encompass core skills that those working with livestock traditionally needed in order to safely and effectively manage their animals day-to-day. Many of the skills — including staying on the back of an untrained horse — are still important today.

What does it mean for Canadian horse owners? Are you aware that a Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines (CPCHE) was published in Canada in 2013? Did you know that Equestrian Canada, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and the Canadian Feed Inspection Agency were among the many partners involved in the development of the CPCHE under the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), and that they remain part of the team that supports the industry-recognized recommendations and requirements established within the Code for good equine husbandry? Let’s look at what exactly this equine Code entails.

Every so often you encounter a story that really sticks with you. You find yourself reflecting on it as you’re going about your daily routines. You wonder, “Why did that happen? How can I help?” That’s what happened when I first heard about a young horse named Noel.

The Rescue of Belle and Sundance: A Miracle on Mount Renshaw, written by Birgit Stutz with Lawrence Scanlan, tells the true story of the incredible rescue effort launched by residents of McBride to save two packhorses abandoned on the slopes of Mount Renshaw, in Northeastern British Columbia. Belle and Sundance were discovered, imprisoned in six-foot-deep snow, on December 15, 2008. They were starving, freezing, and very close to death. Despite their appalling condition, the decision was made to try to save them.