Ringworm, girth itch, rain rot… what horse owners wouldn’t do to wipe these words from the equestrian vocabulary! Unfortunately, these determined fungi (or in the case of rainrot, a bacterium masquerading as a fungus) are not so easily eliminated. These relentless skin invaders have been a source of immense irritation to horses and owners alike…
Albert had always been a glutton, consuming anything and everything in his path. Now he forced himself to nibble grain and valiantly chewed (and chewed and chewed) wads of hay, only to have them fall from his mouth in slimy cuds. Albert never had any particular problem with the heat before. Now he staggered around…
Julie first came to me as a riding student at an early age. She was heavy even then, but she had a keen mind and an intense desire to learn to ride. She worked harder than any student I’ve ever had to acquire the skills necessary to become an admirable equestrian. She had to work harder. She…
Choosing a riding instructor may be as simple as calling the one and only individual within a hundred mile radius who offers riding lessons. For most of the equestrian minded public, however, the choice is not nearly so limited, or so easy. Before beginning your search for the best possible instruction, it is both helpful…
I know what it’s like. Every time you see a horse, even a picture of a horse, your heart beats faster. You read every horse book and magazine you can get your hands on. You envy every horse owner so much it hurts. You love the way horses look, feel, and smell. If and when…
“Can I have a horse? Can I, please? I promise I’ll feed him and brush him and ride him every day. Please … PLEASE … PLEASE?” How many hapless parents have been relentlessly bombarded with this urgent cry; the tearful, pleading eyes; the overwhelming burden of withholding from one’s own child that most essential element sure…
It’s spring … finally. It’s warm … miraculously. Cabin fever’s been working your nerves, and you have to get out and enjoy this eagerly awaited respite from a much-too-long winter. There he stands – Blaze – in his mud lot-soon-to-turn-green-pasture looking just as bored and frustrated as you feel. The ideal solution for you both:…
Horses are well suited to dealing with winter weather conditions. Left to their own devices in a natural state, horses will find adequate shelter, generate warmth by herding together, forage for appropriate food, and seek out open water to drink. Within the confines of domestication, however, horses become wholly dependent upon their owners to supply…
Because the Shadowood website is being constantly improved, and because I want to make it easy for returning visitors to find the new material I’m adding frequently, I’m setting up this area. Here you will find every new addition or update to these pages listed in chronological order. Feel free to jump in wherever you…