March 2023 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN March 2023 Page 71 Go ahead...Ask da Mare SPECIAL FEATURE! Equine Healthcare, Nutrition, Therapy & Pest Control Related advertisers who buy a 1/4 page or larger ad will receive a FREE , 200-300 word article. www.eastcoastequestrian.net Coming in the April issue! Advertising Deadline: March 10 To advertise, call (717) 509-9800 By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… You are not going to believe this. A person I know—not well, only through a friend—has created a blog about animal welfare. Okay, that in itself is not weird. What’s weird is that she has asked me, and several of my horsey friends, to comment on her blog posts. I had not read her blog until she asked me for a comment and after seeing it, I wished that I had never met her. The whole thing is a hodgepodge of glammed-up pictures of her cuddling various dogs, cats and bunnies, along with comments about people who she thinks are mean to animals. The people she accuses of animal abuse include equestrians, farmers and even people who train horses. It would be one thing if this person knew anything about horses— and farms—but her ignorance is breathtaking. One of my friends did post a comment correcting some of her wildly misleading posts about horses; she respond- ed with an abusive rant that was just horrible. I texted her to let her know she was out of line and wrong. Guess what! She got back to me and told me that she was “seeding” her blog with clickbait, as a way to attract advertising. Her goal is to be an “influencer,” she claims. Ugh! I despise everything about this, especially all the blatantly misleading and hurtful things she says about equestrians. I can’t imagine how many of her falsehoods are spreading among other ignorant people out there. Do you think my friends and I should try to post comments correcting her? -Cranky Infuriating Ignorance Dear Cranky… My dear mother, who rarely said a bad word about anyone, used to tell us that people like this blogger are “more to be pit- ied than scorned.” Nonetheless, Mom never had the pleasure of seeing how the internet has grossly and perversely altered interpersonal communication. Your acquaintance seems to have taken what she hopes to be the express lane to fame and fortune. Her schtick seems designed to shock, shame and suck gullible people into her net. And she’s cynically following the footsteps of others who prey on poorly informed people who have zero critical thinking skills. Sad, isn’t it, that in an age when informa- tion is such a valuable commod- ity, these predators deliver use- less, often incendiary drivel that wastes a lot of online space and enrages the “ignorati” who are only too happy to keep the lies spreading. “Influencers” are as old as civilization. They include marketing companies, advertis- ing agencies, interest groups, community groups, animal welfare organizations—people who use factual information to generate change. Unfortunately, fraudsters have run on parallel tracks, peddling their bunk. You ask if you and your friends should contribute your thoughts to this woman’s blog? No. Any comment—even if it aims to correct her misstatements—val- idates her. The most effective way to counter this kind of trash is to ignore it. Your attention is her oxygen. Ignoring her pleas for comments deprives her of the oxygen she needs to keep ped- dling her muck. Just say no! Dear Mal… My gelding seems to be drinking a lot of water lately, and I’m wondering if I should be worried about him. He gets turned out in a big, lush pasture and has a buddy that goes out with him. He’s a 32-year-old Thoroughbred who is otherwise sound and seems very healthy. He’s my sweet boy, and we’ve been together since he was six. Over the years he has had virtu- ally no health issues, other than a couple bouts of choke in the last year. Since then, they have been wetting his grain and that seems to be working. It’s still pretty cold here, and his coat is as thick and soft as ever. His eyes are clear and bright and he seems happy. What do you think I should do? -Worried Dear Worried… Horses have a million ways to break our hearts and worry us. They also have a million ways of making us laugh, smile and believe the world could not be happier. After all the years you’ve been together, I can imagine you and your horse have enjoyed a lot of great adventures. He’s still sound and otherwise healthy at 30, so that’s a plus. There are several things that may be caus- ing his excessive drinking, and before you worry yourself into an emotional whirlpool, you should ask your veterinarian to check your horse. In the meantime, you might want to check the water in the pasture—has anything changed in the environment around the pasture? Sometimes nearby construction leads to runoff and that could affect the taste or smell of the water. There are some health issues that affect horses as they age, such as Cush- ing’s. The diagnosis is typically done with a blood test. If your horse does have Cushing’s, there are medications that can treat and alleviate the symptoms, but the disease itself cannot be cured. There are other potential medical reasons why your horse is drink- ing more water than normal, and your vet will know how to start checking for infections, kidney problems, etc. You need to take a deep breath and know that your horse’s health history is a good omen for a good outcome, even if it turns out that he does have Cushing’s. Good luck! Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol. com. The news East Coast horse owners need to know See page 74 for details. Not a print subscriber? 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