Saving the day usually seems to involve a gray horse...just saying. Photo from Disney's Sleeping Beauty
I’ve always had a little bit of a ‘thing’ for gray horses. It probably started back in the days when I was still watching all of those Disney movies as a little girl. Because let’s face it: the prince always rode in on a lovely gray horse to save the day and sweep the princess off of her feet. And then they both lived happily ever after.
Fairy tales aside, I still always have had a soft spot for grays. In fact, the very first horse who taught me how to ride was a gray-turned-pure-white gelding named Blu. I might have been ever so slightly over the moon to be learning how to ride on the gray, but quickly realized that I needed to worry less about what color Blu was, because he had a lot to teach me. A. Lot.
And I did learn a lot spending a couple of years riding Blu — until my next school horse came along. I never lost my fondness for Blu though, right up until the time that he left for a new home when the lesson program where I rode eventually disbanded. I’ve always said that one day I will bring home a gray of my own. It hasn’t happened yet, but someday…
Something that has always been a little alarming to me is the statistics that I’ve seen published around older gray horses, and the likelihood that they will develop melanoma later in life. A concerning 80% of gray horses over the age of 15 will develop melanoma. What does this mean for your gray, and how should you approach treatment? Check out this article at the Horse Collaborative to learn more.
And then take a look at some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine:
Is Sun Bleached Hay Bad?: Do you know what the potential drawbacks of buying and feeding sun bleached hay could be? Listen in to this Audio commentary from hay expert Tom Keene, of the University of Kentucky, to learn more on the topic. [The Horse]
Do Horses Really Enjoy Jumping?: Does your horse really love to jump? Researchers in Poland recently published a study where they offered a number of leisure and sport horses two routes to feed–one with an obstacle, and one without. While the researchers have observed that horses do not appear to object to taking on an obstacle of their own accord, no definite conclusion has been reached. [Horsetalk]
Moldy Corn Contamination: Have you found yourself being more aware about just what is in your horse’s feed lately? Well, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the moldy corn poisoning – some molds can cause the production of mycotoxins, which are poisons that can cause a number of issues, up to being potentially fatal for your horse [The Horse]
FEI Rule That Affects Riders Suspended for Doping: Keep your eye out for a new FEI rule that went into effect in January 2015, which could prevent riders who have been suspended for doping offenses from making a living in the horse industry. The new rule would preclude any rider competing at FEI events from working with suspended riders – there are questions around the legality of the rule. [Horse & Hound]
