This entry marks the 100th message I have written to this blog since starting in July 2007! In honor of this milestone, SmartPak is letting me select my favorite question and answer from the past two years and give that person a gift certificate, just in time for the holidays! This was a fun but tough exercise, and here are my finalists (along with why):<\/p>\n
\u2022 Slow Down Hay Eating <\/a>(9\/30\/09 in Weight Management)\u2014because my own horse gorges and I literally spent HOURS researching this topic<\/p>\n \u2022 How Do I Become a Veterinarian <\/a>(8\/12\/09 in Misc. Topics)\u2014who doesn\u2019t love to talk about their career?<\/p>\n \u2022 How Much Pasture Do Horses Eat? <\/a>(7\/30\/09 in Nutrition and Seasonal Horse Care)\u2014I was shocked at how much research there is on grazing behavior in horses. Some of what I learned I put to immediate use at my own barn and some I just stored away to impress people with at cocktail parties.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2022 Headshaking<\/a> (12\/31\/2008 in Behavior)\u2014again, any topic that helps my own horse I\u2019m happy to look into for someone else\u2019s horse!<\/p>\n \u2022 Is Flax Seed Safe to Use in Horses?<\/a> (9\/10\/98 in Misc. Topics)\u2014this topic generated the most comments because I quoted a study that has since disappeared off the face of the earth (it\u2019s with the keeper from my side reins, my white sock with the pink toe, and my Collective Soul CD). Also, I love dispelling the myth that flax seed poses a danger because of the cyanide precursor it contains.<\/p>\n \u2022 How Much Sun Do Horses Need?<\/a> (4\/21\/08 in Misc. Topics)\u2014another topic I had to research extensively to answer. I love a challenge!<\/p>\n \u2022 Trimming Chestnuts on Horse Legs <\/a>(2\/26\/08 in Barn Skills)\u2014love these kinds of basic questions that you might feel, well, stupid asking your trainer, veterinarian, farrier or even another boarder but you can submit to the Ask the Vet forum because it\u2019s a \u201csafe\u201d location.<\/p>\n