May/June 2024 Issue

The Directory Fencing Farrier Supply Equipment Horse & Pet Cremation Emergency ServiceAvailable Harness/Tack/Leather Repair Horse Stalls Trailers Trailers Manure Removal kevin.bomgardner@aol.com Manure Composting For more information about advertising in The Directory please call (717) 509-9800. Reach Over 38,000 Horse Owners! EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN May/June 2024 Page 49 Horse Droppings By Sylvia Sidesaddle It’s been awhile but it’s always valuable information when Penn Vet’s Dr. Sue Mc- Donnell speaks, as she did at the Rutgers Evening of Science and Celebration. Dr. McDon- nell conducts groundbreaking research on equine behavior with a herd of feral ponies housed at New Bolton Center, but of course Syl’s sweet things knew that. She predicts that gastric ulcer formation can be attributed partly to the way we keep stalled horses. It’s “natural” for the entire herd to eat together, and the digestive system functions optimally when they are walking while eating. “Horses in natural environments have their heads on the ground all the time,” said Dr. McDonnell. They don’t get dental problems because they’re chewing and swallowing in the natural position, and they’re less stressed because their peripheral view allows the herd to collec- tively watch for threats. Horses in stalls cannot depend on each other to survey their environ- ment and communicate, so they are more anxious while eating. Instead, they take a bite from the hay on the ground and then pick their head up to see over the top of the wall. It’s the little things, darlings! Syl’s sweet things might have seen a recent Instagram post about a horse stuck in a crook far up a fairly large tree. Syl unfortu- nately lost track of that particular post (it wasn’t local) and so she googled ‘horse up a tree’ and… AMAZING…apparently horses get stuck in trees all the time! Try it (the google, not the tree)! Something new to worry about darlings!!! And with that. It’s teatime for Syl! Until next time, always remember to S.S.S (Send Syl Scoop) at PAEquest@aol.com. And…be careful where you step! (Continued from page 44)