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
Marbles Keep Mares Out of Heat
March 01, 2003
Mares in performance careers are sometimes a frustration to their trainers and riders because during estrus, they can have difficulty concentrating on their work or have "behavioral problems." Many horse owners resort to hormone therapy to keep Read More
Tis the Season for Giving
December 01, 2002
There are many charitable organizations and foundations that help horses or are involved in horse-related programs. These range from rescue groups (relocating neglected or abused animals or saving them from slaughter) to foundations that fund Read More
New Surgical Treatment for Suspensory Injury
November 01, 2002
Suspensory injuries are common in athletic horses. The suspensory ligament extends down the back of the lower leg from the knee or the hock and lies between the flexor tendons and the cannon bone. There are a number of treatments for injured Read More
The Body's Building Blocks
November 01, 2002
Like a structure made of tinker toys, protein is composed of smaller pieces--the amino acids. These can be rearranged to form the different types of protein-based tissues in the body. Protein is one of the basic nutrient elements of the equine Read More
IV Complications
May 01, 2002
Any horse with an indwelling IV catheter should be monitored closely for the swelling and/or thick, rope-like consistency of a vein with thrombosis or thrombophlebitis. Catching any vein problem early and treating it minimizes the risk of serious pro Read More
Mysterious Eye Inflammation Traced to Plant Burrs
October 15, 2001
Fall and winter sometimes bring unexplained eye problems in horses and cattle, with irritation and inflammation, or corneal ulcers. Some of the horses examined at these college clinics over the past several years had microscopic barbed "slivers" Read More
Electrolytes and Endurance Horses
November 01, 1997
Not all horses are alike in their needs for electrolyte replacement after strenuous exertion. Some deplete the Read More
