Category: Uncategorized
The Business of Boarding
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 … Read More The Business of Boarding
OTTB United: The Missing Link
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 … Read More OTTB United: The Missing Link
Safety, Where It Stands, And Why We Need To Be Better
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 … Read More Safety, Where It Stands, And Why We Need To Be Better
I love thoroughbreds
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 … Read More I love thoroughbreds
The Bigger Picture
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 … Read More The Bigger Picture
Unsolicited advice
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. 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 … Read More Unsolicited advice
Perspective
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 … Read More Perspective
Lasix: Treating the symptom and not the disease.
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 … Read More Lasix: Treating the symptom and not the disease.
Money, Time, and Life.
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 … Read More Money, Time, and Life.
The Offensive: A Proposed Change To The Industry I Want To Love
There are countless stories swirling the internet, voicing the hundreds of different opinions on this subject. We have heard Arthur Hancock ask for his industry to limit race day medication. We have heard PETA call for an end to all of racing. And we have heard countless others call for a full assessment of that fickle track. The 22nd horse broke down yesterday, after … Read More The Offensive: A Proposed Change To The Industry I Want To Love
Public Relations
I sat reading the comments under Paulick Reports piece and my eyes just grew wider and wider. It was a story of an anchor on Sport Illustrated questioning why horse racing was still a thing. With how many deaths it causes – both horse and human – why do we have this sport simply for gambling? The quote left me saddened. But the comments … Read More Public Relations
Training for Life
I was speaking to my friend Brooke the other day when the conversation quickly turned to one of our most frequent laments….selling horses. The process of retraining thoroughbreds is quite near and dear to both of our hearts, and we quickly became friends through our journeys at the Retired Racehorse Projects Thoroughbred Makeover, a process that I have blogged often about. And we admit … Read More Training for Life
A Yankee in Paris 
Recent Comments