Heather Smith Thomas
Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband near Salmon, Idaho, raising cattle and a few horses. She has a B.A. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). She has raised and trained horses for 50 years, and has been writing freelance articles and books nearly that long, publishing 20 books and more than 9,000 articles for horse and livestock publications. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses and Storey's Guide to Training Horses. Besides having her own blog, www.heathersmiththomas.blogspot.com, she writes a biweekly blog at http://insidestorey.blogspot.com that comes out on Tuesdays.
Articles by Heather Thomas
Breeding Challenges of Older Mares
November 01, 2007
New technology and better ways of handling older mares improve the chances for breeding success. Read More
Wound TLC
October 01, 2007
Proper and prompt care for each type of wound can make a difference in healing. Read More
Safety for Horses During Hunting Season
September 13, 2007
Horse owners often worry about safety of their animals during hunting seasons, especially if the horse's color might be mistaken for a deer or other large game animal. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help distinguis Read More
Feeding to Avoid Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD)
September 01, 2007
The way you feed young horses could help them develop strong, properly formed bones and joints. Read More
ACell Therapy for Injuries; Powder Form Again Available
August 17, 2007
Tissue-engineered products such as extracellular matrix (a graft material that can be implanted at the site of damaged tissue) are being used by a growing number of equine veterinarians to stimulate swifter and better healing for tendon and Read More
Health Problems of Young Horses in Training
August 01, 2007
Young horses in training are vulnerable to a wide variety of problems--everything from respiratory disease to training injuries. These horses are often taken off the farm where they grew up, transported to training facilities where they Read More
Feeds and Supplements for Older Horses
August 01, 2007
Equine nutritionists discuss a variety of feeds and feeding practices to help horses cope with the problems as Read More
Feed Supplements for Horses
August 01, 2007
A feed supplement is anything fed to a horse in addition to a natural diet of forage. Technically grain is a supplement. But the term has come to mean any additional nutrients (such as certain vitamins and minerals, extra protein, energy, etc.) tha Read More
Tapeworms
July 01, 2007
Tapeworms are becoming more of an issue in horses as we learn more about how they affect horse health. Some regions of the country have a greater risk of equine tapeworm problems. In the upper Midwest (Wisconsin and Minnesota), for instance, studie Read More
Chronic Laminitis
May 01, 2007
When a horse founders and the damaged laminae that hold the coffin bone to the hoof wall release their grip, the coffin bone is no longer held in place. It rotates (tips down at the front) or slips downward in the hoof. The goal when shoeing these Read More
Correcting Shelly Feet
March 01, 2007
Shelly, crumbly feet can be a challenge for horses and their owners. The feet break down too readily if the horse is barefoot, and they are unable to hold nails if he's shod. In this article we'll look at several causes and potential treatments for Read More
Moon Blindness
February 01, 2007
"Moon blindness" is a chronic, painful eye disease, and it's the most common cause of blindness in horses. It was so named during the 1600s because people thought recurring attacks were related to phases of the moon. This eye disease might be one o Read More
Neonatal Nuances
February 01, 2007
The first days of a foal's life can be risky; there are a number of things that can go wrong. Some problems can be dealt with easily (such as constipation), while others are life-threatening (such as a ruptured bladder).
In this article, Bonni Read More
Embryo Transfer: Who's Your Mama?
February 01, 2007
Embryo transfer (ET)--recovering the embryo from a bred donor mare for placement into a recipient mare that will carry and raise the foal--has become a useful reproductive tool for a growing number of breeders. Mares that are competing, or mares Read More
Pneumonia's Fatal Grip
December 01, 2006
Pneumonia is, simply put, inflammation of the lungs. It can be mild or life-threatening (and quickly fatal) depending on its cause and the age of the foal. Pneumonia can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Many foals are susceptible to Read More
The First Supper
December 01, 2006
Your new foal is struggling to his feet and instinctively wobbling toward mom. You watch in anxious interest as she licks and nudges to encourage him--while he noses at her front leg, her flank, her buttock, and finally, DINNER!
The mare's Read More
Book Excerpt: Rainrot
November 15, 2006
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from Care and Management of Horses by Heather Smith Thomas. This book is available from Read More
Feeding Horses in Winter (Book Excerpt)
October 04, 2006
A horse's nutrient requirements increase with cold weather; he needs more calories to generate heat to keep warm. Mature horses in good condition usually don't need grain, however, if they have good winter pasture or grass hay. Read More
Overactive and Underweight
August 01, 2006
Sometimes it's challenging to keep weight on a horse. A hyperactive horse might burn off too many calories to stay in optimum body condition, while an old broodmare with digestive inefficiency can lose weight during the stress of lactation. We'll Read More
More Than a Bad Habit
July 01, 2006
Many horses are kept in an unnatural environment--confined in stalls or small pens. Some of them resort to repetitive behaviors such as cribbing, weaving, or stall walking. Most of these horses are fed concentrated, high-energy rations they Read More
Equine Body Language
June 14, 2006
When handling a horse, you are better prepared for his actions and reactions if you can interpret his body language, to know whether he is at ease with what you are doing, nervous, afraid, annoyed, or resentful. Part of handling horses safely Read More
Hoof Structure and Foot Facts (Book Excerpt)
May 17, 2006
The old saying, "No hoof, no horse" is very true, especially as it pertains to the horse's working ability and soundness. The horse is an athlete; we use him for a variety of athletic purposes -- racing, jumping, chasing cattle, pulling carts. Read More
Ridin' Fence
May 01, 2006
There are many options available today for horse owners when installing or redoing pen and pasture fencing. The first thought should be the safety of the horses. Sometimes a fencing makeover will mean tearing out all of the old fence and Read More
Water Makeovers on the Farm
May 01, 2006
There are many things to consider when supplying water for horses. If you depend on a stream, pond, or ditch (rather than a controlled system such as buckets, tanks, or automatic waterers), there could be concerns regarding water quality (for your Read More
Communicating With Horses
April 12, 2006
To work with horses successfully, we must be able to communicate adequately with voice, touch, and body language. The horseman must be sensitive and sympathetic, with an intuitive feel for what is right for that particular horse at that Read More
