Like many of you, I was born in the 1960s. I sat on a horse before I could walk, and before the decade came to a close I’d ridden my first dressage test and been indoctrinated with the age-old rules of horsemanship. I learned how to bandage legs and groom with my Pony Club Manual by my side. And I would never, ever let my horse drink cold water after work for fear that he might colic.
Fast-forward to 2013. Even after vet school and 20-plus years as a practicing equine veterinarian, my bandaging techniques haven’t changed much, and I still follow the curry comb/stiff brush/body brush rules of thorough grooming.
About that cold water? Well, some things really have evolved. All the research done on thermoregulation before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, for example, forever transformed our thinking about things like how best to cool a hot horse. Although many principles of horse care endure, I’ve still had to change my ways.
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