Appreciation for horses only grows when humans have to stay six feet apart

Angel, my Arabian mare, seems to ponder the long road back to normal. She completed her first 100-mile race a couple years ago in endurance and has always finished in the Top Ten. She is now retired, living and riding these trails on the Ortega. The horse of a lifetime.

–Jill McGovern, Capistrano Beach

The young lady in the mask is from Germany, where she rides English. She’s the niece of a friend, and she’s riding my retired bridle horse, “Reese,” and getting the feel of a Californio-style cow horse. I’m on my two-rein youngster. Even with the light rain that was falling during our ride, it was a good day. (BTW…her aunt, the photographer, was “masked up” also!)

–Peter Taylor, Ione

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM

The COVID-19 global pandemic has bio-security on everyone’s minds. Let’s revisit biosecurity and you may appreciate similarities between some of the recommendations here for your horse and the ones we are receiving now from the government for ourselves during this outbreak.

First off, make sure you are up to date on your horse’s vaccines. Vaccines are designed to help the body fight off an infectious agent if it comes into contact with it. They usually require 10 to 14 days to work. The body is exposed to the antigen and has two ways it can work to fight it off: The first is to develop antibodies; the second is what is called “cell mediated immunity.” Different vaccines have different protocols to follow for them to be their most efficacious, so either read the full label or have your veterinarian perform the series properly so they are able to give you the best protection possible.

By Sheryl Lynde | Horsetrader columnist

Anything of value we treat with the utmost care. Well, I’m about to tell you a story that has tremendous value, to the American Mustang and to our veterans who have served our country…and to our society as a whole.

My only hope is that I give the story the justice it deserves. (I will do my best.)

This is not a tragedy, it is a story of resilience, purpose and connection — a human-horse connection.

WCRHA season-opener is a delightful event

By Eileen Maxinoski

CORNING — The West Coast Reining Horse Association started its 2020 season with a bang March 6-8 at the Rolling Hills Equestrian Center, as a record number of entrants showed their reiners for judges Janette Dublin from Texas and Cyndi Robbins from Oklahoma.

Overall, weather was sunny with scattered clouds during the four days, but on Saturday evening a thunderstorm hit — with a breathtaking double-rainbow over the equestrian facility.