Book Review: Horse Lover’s Daily Companion

 

Horse Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse, by Audrey Pavia, gives daily devotions a brand-new meaning, at least for horse lovers. Like many traditional devotional books, this one even includes an attached ribbon bookmark.

 The 320-page, hard-cover book is a daily delight for equestrians and horse enthusiasts, from its photo-insert cover to the topical index in the back. Filled with 125 artistic full-color equine photographs (most taken by professional cameraman Tom Sapp), Horse Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse is a super gift idea for a horse lover.

 Equestrians and horse lovers generally enjoy learning about equines and how to care for them. Horse Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse overflows with practical and positive ideas for horse management, training and enjoyment.

This book is available on Amazon.

 

 NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

 Author Audrey Pavia has organized Horse Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse into regular daily categories for a year’s worth of brief, but instructional and inspiring, horse-related readings.

 Monday readings focus on specific breeds of horses: Akhal-Tekes, Andalusians, Appaloosas, Arabians, Cleveland Bays, Connemaras, Fell Ponies, Freesians, Hackneys, Mustangs, Paso Finos, Saddlebreds, Thoroughbreds, Trakehners, Warmbloods and many more.

 Tuesday entries offer information about all sorts of equestrian disciplines, from trail riding to team penning, from cattle drives to mounted treasure hunts and from driving to dressage.

 Wednesday pages detail intriguing facts from horse history. Audrey Pavia has included profiles of famous horses from history and literature, such as Black Beauty, Comanche, Flicka, Idaho Gem, Man o’ War, Napoleon’s Marengo, Sea Biscuit and Xenophon.

 This book reviewer purchased the book described and evaluated here, and the reviewer has no prior or existing relationship (either familial or professional) with the author or publisher.

 Thursday sessions provide helpful how-to’s for smart stabling of horses. Pages spell out advice for horse breeding, caring for horse pastures, catching runaway horses, choosing bits, finding equine insurance, maintaining horseback riding arenas, preventing biting, equestrian tack cleaning, and other horse management concerns.

 Friday writings describe equine health and horse care. Items explain horse acupuncture, arthritis care, chiropractic treatments, dietary concerns, equine influenza, equine strangles, gastric ulcers, horse hoof care, thrush and more.

 Saturday and Sunday sections zero in on ways to foster the horse and human relationship. Audrey Pavia has penned instructions for finding equestrian trainers, great grooming and equine bathing, horse record keeping, in-hand grazing, learning lunging, practicing trailer loading, pre-ride stretching, riding vacations and other equestrian activities.

 Horse Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse, published by Quarry Books in September 2009, retails for $19.99 ($24.99 in Canada). The book is available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Borders.com, Buy.com and other merchants.

 

About the Author: Audrey Pavia

 Audrey Pavia, a former Horse Illustrated editor, is the author of many horse books, including Appaloosa Spirit, Horseback Riding for Dummies, Horse Health & Nutrition for Dummies, Horses for Dummies, Paint Spirit, Trail Riding: A Complete Guide, The Ultimate Horse Lover and Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? Audrey Pavia has published articles in Appaloosa Journal, Equestrian Retailer, Equine Veterinary Management, Horses USA, Paint Horse Journal, Quarter Horses USA, Trail Rider, USDF Connection, Western Horseman and elsewhere.

Image: Cover photo – fair use

 

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Buying saddles or tack? What about COVID-19?

Mid-pandemic, tack shops and equestrians alike are still marketing their saddles and bridles and other horse tack. Money is tight for many, as jobless rates soar with pandemic-related layoffs and business closures (both temporary and longer), and the stock market fluctuates more wildly than the greenest colt.

But some horse-people still shop for equestrian equipment.

How does COVID-19 affect your purchase of a saddle or tack?

Safety is definitely a concern, as the coronavirus is extremely contagious. By government decree and/or merchant caution, many brick-and-mortar stores are closed, but still offering their wares online. And individual sellers still advertise used and new items on websites, in blog sidebars, on online bulletin boards, and through social networking.

The buying and selling has not ceased, although folks may have grown more frugal in the current economic climate.

Even remote buying and selling merits some caution.

Is your new stuff coming in with an unexpected add-on, the dreaded virus?

 Some experts believe the virus is able to linger on various surfaces. Here are a few pertinent examples for horsey folks (thanks to WebMD):

• Aluminum – 2-8 hours
• Cardboard – 24 hours
• Ceramics – 5 days
• Copper – 4 hours
• Glass – varies (up to 5 days)
• Miscellaneous metals – 5 days
• Paper – varies (up to 5 days)
• Plastic – 2-3 days
• Silver – 5 days
• Stainless Steel – 2-3 days
• Wood – 4 days

Think about that fancy saddle or bridle, with hand-tooled leather and silver conchos. Consider the shiny new plastic water bucket or grooming tote. Ponder the handy halter, the sweet wooden dandy brush, the fluffy saddle pad, or the metal shedding blade. How about that brand-new new hoof pick?

COVID-19 may last from hours to days on porous items like fabrics and leather. (Check out that beautiful new show coat, those flashy breeches, or that amazing pair of boots.)

Don’t assume something is virus-free, just because it’s brand-new.

Any one of these could still carry coronavirus, if it was handled by someone who was infected. Especially if you picked it up in person or paid extra for express delivery.

Even that sweet pedigree paperwork or breed certificate on the new foal could be contaminated.

And all that second-hand stuff? All bets are off there too.

Have you heard the glitter analogy about COVID-19?

This analogy helps to paint a clear picture of the situation. Let’s assume (for safety’s sake) that anything you obtain these days is tainted with the virus. Pretend it’s shiny like glitter, so you can see it. And it’s all over your new stuff.  Now you have to wash the glitter off before you use your new stuff.

Let's just consider everything contaminated for now, for the sake of safety. If we are over-cautious, we still may come out healthier.

What can you do?

Go ahead, and buy that pretty bridle. Order that sensational saddle. Splurge on that spiffy show shirt.

When your stuff arrives, you can open it outside, and toss all of the outer packaging. Don’t even bring it into the barn till you disinfect it (in a safe spot, like outdoors or in the wash-rack, if you plan to clean that after you’re done). Household disinfectants, laundry detergent, cleaning wipes, and even soap and water can clean your newly acquired items. Saddle soap does the trick for leather goods, if you scrub a lot and rinse and buff well. You may even opt to hire a professional tack cleaner for your new saddle or bridle.

Be sure to toss all of the outer packaging.

Then wash your hands.

Image:

Public domain photo

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NEIGH: 5 ways to support one whose horse has died

A handful of heartfelt hints for encouraging a grieving horse lover

Our long-time beloved family horse died several months ago, and I still miss him. This loss also revived my sorrow over losing my very first horse, a challenging, but life-changing and once-in-a-lifetime mare, several years ago. I just heard that a once-naughty little show pony, who taught me to jump fences, was euthanized yesterday. And a dear old gelding, belonging to a barn pal, is struggling to stay standing today.

To a horse lover, losing an equine companion can be every bit as grief-worthy as the passing of a human family member or a close friend.

What can caring folks do or say to support someone who has just lost a horse?

Here are five ways to reach out to a grieving horse lover. For simplicity’s sake, let’s use a horse acronym, “NEIGH.”

N = Never nicker.

Why do people always seem to practice verbal calisthenics, stretching for all sorts of inappropriate things to say when others are mourning? A grieving horse owner is not likely to be encouraged by trite sayings, lame platitudes, personal horror stories of lost horses, or even unwelcome advice while enduring the pits of grief.

E = Ears forward.

The most sensitive and caring friends offer to listen to the mourning horse lover’s stories of grief, veterinary nightmares and even happy memories shared with the horse that has died – even if those stories are repeated numerous times.

NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

I = Instincts are insightful.

Often, simply sharing silent moments of unspoken understanding can be a marvelous way of showing compassion for the one who has just lost a much-loved horse.

G = Gallop in with good deeds.

When a horse has died, several difficult tasks may await the equine’s owner. Helpful friends may offer to pitch in at such moments, if appropriate.

For example, the grieving horse lover may need assistance in cleaning out the horse’s stall, packing up saddles and tack, or making arrangements for the horse’s remains. These responsibilities can be extremely emotional for the one who is mourning, but a close friend may be able to help.

When my own horse died, two barn friends stayed with me by a front pasture gate, visiting with other favorite horses, while her remains were removed from the back of the barn. The sight would have been a difficult memory to erase.

H = Hearken the herd.

Equestrian stables tend to be notorious for grapevine gossip, like any other close-knit community. When a horse has died, the owner’s friends can be extremely helpful by minimizing this, while compassionately informing those who will most sympathize with what has happened (with the owner’s permission). By running interference, so to speak, for the grieving horse lover, these companions may enlist additional encouragers.

These five simple steps can go a long way towards expressing care and concern for the mourning horse owner. Naysayers may beg to differ, but equine experience speaks volumes on the subject. 

Find this helpful book on Amazon! https://amzn.to/36QCddr

During my own season of mourning the loss of my mare, I welcomed and valued the friends who offered no unsolicited advice, but listened, empathized, offered assistance, and rallied other supportive horse-loving friends to do the same.

Images:

Adapted from public domain photo

Book cover – Fair use

(This writer is author of the featured book.)

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