Baking with Lord Nelson: Holiday Special

Hay there folks!

Nelson here wishing you all happy holidays! I’m sure you’re all thinking about what your horses would like for their holiday gifts and I can give you the answer in one word: COOKIES! I’ve asked my pasture mates and barn buddies what their favorite snacks are and now I’m going to share their answers with you. Nothing makes us feel more loved than some homemade treats so here are some quick and easy recipes to make your horses feel loved this season!

Giving Thanks to Your Older Equine Pals!

I can’t believe how quickly the seasons are changing, and Thanksgiving is only a few days away! For many of you, thoughts of a big, juicy turkey, warm gravy, and sweet pumpkin pie are the things that come to mind in anticipation of the holiday.  I know it sure does for me! But then again, when am I NOT thinking about food?!  Unfortunately, my owner says I cannot partake in the feast. He says he can’t find a chair large enough for me to sit at the table…I was slightly offended. But I won’t judge him when he has to loosen his belt after having his five-course meal…maybe…

You can lead a horse to water, but…

Winter is approaching and just like the acorn-scavenging squirrel, horses similarly increase their nutrient (food AND water) intake. So, it’s perfectly acceptable for me to have an extra doughnut or two…or five!  For every degree the temperature drops below a horse’s critical temperature, its hay consumption must be increased by 1%. It is important that only the hay is increased because that is the food that ferments inside their body and lets off heat to keep them nice and toasty.

Scary Scratches!

What’s up friends!

This is Snowdrift!  My buddy Lord Nelson asked me to help him out with this post to the “Holy Hoofprints” blog. As one of the fastest Horse Hero mares in the herd at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, he knew that I’d be able to write this in a jiffy!  Here goes! Read through it and check out the video of me running at almost top-speed on the treadmill!

With this fickle fall weather and Halloween creeping up soon, I wanted to quickly talk to you about a scary skin infection that is commonly known as “scratches”. I know horses that have had scratches before, and it is very unpleasant for us if not managed correctly! 

Oh! These Aching Bones...What's an old horse to do?

Hi Folks,

Some horses begin to need special care due to aging soon after reaching twenty. However, many do not and are fine into their thirties. Like my human friends, aging processes in horses vary and are influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and healthcare.  I was just finishing my second career working in mounted patrol on campus (also receiving that memorable NCAA football penalty!) in my late twenties and started my third career as a Professor Emeritus at the Rutgers Equine Science Center when I was in my late thirties! Now that I am in my forties (I know hard to believe right?), I seem to be having a hard time in the morning chasing after my gal HugMe Christi. Nowadays, I need more time to get warmed up because of stiffness.  It was only a matter of time before I began to feel and show the signs of aging. 

Working for Rutgers Mounted Patrol

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Equine Herding Behavior featuring Le Cheesecake! (VIDEO)

Bonjour, everyone! This is Le Cheesecake, giving you the latest scoop on what’s happening at the Rutgers farm.  My mentor, Lord Nelson is taking a little vacation and has asked his French mademoiselle (me!) to write his next blog post. I don’t know how he types on these itsy-bitsy keys!  Keep reading to get to the VIDEO file below!

Fireworks – Fight or Flight!

Hay Folks,

The Fourth of July is almost here and that means barbeques, HOT DOGS, (Mmm mmm mmm) and of course fireworks!  Fireworks are magnificent and a great way to represent my patriotism, after all, I am an AMERICAN Quarter horse. But in a horse’s mind, the loud sounds and bright lights can mean “something is attacking me!” and trigger a horse’s flight response.  This can be very dangerous for the horse and people around them, too.

Got Protozoa on the Brain?

Hay Folks,

I’m glad you stuck around to find out about the nasty protozoa that causes Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). Remember I talked a little about this month?  If you’re just tuning in, check out my previous blog post, “Recycling Manure”.

Recycling Manure

Hay Folks!

Photo credit: Monica Thors

Are you stifle-deep in manure?  Not properly managing horse manure can have harmful results. Luckily I’m here to help! Keep reading to find out how truly awesome manure can be and how you can use it to your advantage!

Congratulations to my pal, Dr. Ryan Avenatti!

Hay Folks,

Ryan aboard the great Lord Nelson!

After five long, hard years working at the lab bench and out in the Treadmill Barn with my gal pals at Rutgers, Ryan Avenatti has finally earned his Ph.D.!  Now, he will be Dr. Avenatti! 

I was going to give him doughnuts as a graduation gift, but…unfortunately, I ate them… So, I’m writing a blog all about him and his research to make up for my insatiable sweet tooth.  This Monday, he presented his research entitled, “Effects of age and acute exercise on mediators of inflammation and energy homeostasis in horses”.  All those fancy words, pretty much mean, how a horse’s exercise physiology changes with age.

Buzz-Buzz-Buzz: What’s the Buzz on that Buzzing?

Spring is finally here bringing lovely warm weather, as well as those nasty, annoying, biting flies! Not only do they bite and hurt, but they can make me and my other pasture buddies very sick. On top of that, they swarm on my sweet, delicious doughnuts!

Today is Earth Day!

Hay Folks,

Today is Earth Day and I will be celebrating by playing the online computer game, “Fun on the Farm” on Equine Science 4 Kids!  Will you? Test your knowledge on environmental stewardship and see if you are smarter than a horse!

Plant a tree, in honor of Earth Day and ME, Lord Nelson!

Your pal,

Lord Nelson

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a…HORSE!

Ahh Choo! 

Pollen isn't the only thing that is flying in the air and making me sneeze, so is my own HAIR!  It’s shedding season and a nice gust of wind sends my hair flying everywhere, tickling my nose.  My equine scientist friend AND colleague (heh, heh, heh) spent several hours this past Saturday trying to help remove my undercoat by grooming me.  I’m surprised that I’m not bald, considering all of the hair that Dr. M has combed off of me.  It’s probably enough to cover another Lord Nelson!

FOWL Play?!

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Spring is here and the birds are flying north and building nests for their chicks.  Birds are very important for the ecosystem, but in a horse barn, it’s a recipe for disaster!

My buddy Polly (the bird by my stable mate’s withers above) is very pretty and has a lovely voice and would never intentionally hurt me, but the bacteria and pathogens in her body can.  Some diseases I can get from birds (and their POOP!) are salmonella or cryptococcosis (a type of fungus).

Not all clovers are lucky!

Top o’ the morning to all laddies and lasses!

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and even though there may not be a lot of green on my pasture, spring is right around the corner and I’m getting a head start on searching for the rare, lucky four-leaf clover, so I can hopefully meet a leprechaun! However, I need to be extremely careful.  There are many clovers that are not so lucky and are EXTREMELY toxic to horses, especially alsike clover.

"She loves me, she loves me not"

Love is in the air…or could it be a delicious heart-shaped doughnut that I smell?!? 

With Valentine’s Day later this week, I’m planning to spend quality time with my gal pal, Hugme Christi! It took me a long time to figure out if she liked me or not.  I used to pluck the petals off of flowers singing, “She loves me. She loves me not,” over and over again until there weren’t any petals left.  But that wasn’t very scientific of me.  I’m a professor of equine science, so I put my thinking cap on and started to pay closer attention to her behavior.  Learning a horse’s behavior is very important so you know when they are going to give you a kiss or a bite – but don’t worry about me; I only bite into doughnuts and hot dogs!

Compost Conundrums

Howdy all!

Me and Christi in the snow!

I hope everyone is staying dry and toasty in your home (and barn!) these days, and that you have all a fantastic start to the New Year! The snow was piling up just in time to celebrate all the winter holidays, and it hasn't stopped since! Christi and I had a blast playing yesterday, making Pegasuses in the snow, seeing who could race to the other end of the pasture quickest, and shaking tree branches to drop an avalanche of frost on each other's backs.  Despite the snow and ice everywhere I look, it does remind me of a question that I received from Claire, a 9 year old budding scientist...