Heather Wallace's Blog, page 14

Protect Your Pet with Consumer’s Advocate Top Ten Pet Insurance Review Guide 2018

I look at my client’s owner and understand how relieved they are to see their dog relaxed and happy, but knowing it is an additional cost they pay. They only want the best for their pet, but with a terminal cancer diagnosis their funds are depleted from the treatments, and massage and other holistic therapies are the only things providing pain relief. While there are a few non-profit foundations that offer monetary grants for pets with illnesses such as cancer, if pet owners do not have pet i...

Avoid Injury While Working with Horses

I love talking about my work with horses and dogs and how I can help them through sports massage. But my favorite responses are when I tell them what I do for a living. It varies of course, but almost always has some surprised face and follow-up questions.   The most common question I receive from equestrians and non-equestrians alike is, “How often do you get kicked or bitten?” The answer, I haven’t yet. There are many reasons that horses are not defensive while I work on them. My methods wo...

Reset Your Riding

Sometimes it is important to take a few breaths, a step back, and reset in order to progress in your riding. That is what I did, albeit unintentionally when I traveled to Mongolia this August for the Gobi Desert Cup. I spent three weeks out of the saddle between travel and giving my horse some time off with his anhidrosis. For many days I traveled by car and watched while eighteen riders had the adventure of a lifetime on the backs of a Mongolian horse, a breed largely unchanged for thousands...

Desensitizing the Rider

You can scour the internet for references and advice on desensitizing your horse. But what happens when it is the rider that needs desensitizing?   Every ride is a learning experience for both horse and equestrian. Some days are good, others could use improvement. Recently I had a lesson with my trainer after a long summer off due to pony camp and my children’s schedules. Until then we were mostly hacking around the barn and taking easy trail rides because of campers dominating the schooling...

Anhidrosis and Your Horse: Managing Symptoms

Ah, summer. The beautiful lush grass and extended daylight lead to more time in the saddle and with your favorite equine. But when your horse has anhidrosis or “no sweat”, summer can be deadly. Here are the symptoms to watch for and help with your horse. What is Anhidrosis? Anhidrosis refers to the inability to sweat properly and can affect certain areas of the body, or the entire horse. Commonly referred to as “no sweat” in equestrian circles, your horse may be mildly affected or severely af...

Summer’s Lament

Unpopular opinion: Summer is my least favorite season.    I know, I know. Insert *gasps* and *shrieks*. I don’t hate it, but in weighing the pros and cons I find many more cons. I’m exhausted and hot and that is never a good combination. While I can wear lighter clothing during my canine massage visits at the office, in the barn I’m always in pants and boots. My long, curly hair frizzes and needs to be tamed by hats or a bun.     You see, I hate the heat. I hate to sweat. And I hate having to...

Weekend at the Races

The weekend of July 28th and 29, 2018 was a banner time at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Monmouth County. The local track has a number of amazing family-friendly events throughout the season but nothing quite like the combination of Ladies Day sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer followed by the biggest race in New Jersey, the 2018 Haskell Invitational.   Saturday dawned warm and sunny, perfect to reveal the new line at Lilly Pulitzer and bring fashion to the women at the racetrack. Color and hats were t...

Learn From the Barn Children

Confession: My Children Are Braver Than Me   I’m 40-years old. I’ve experienced a lot in life and still have a lot to learn. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t learning from my own three children; especially, when it comes to riding horses. Case in point- I rode bareback for the first time two weeks ago. I was terrified and looked like a sack of potatoes mounting up. I’m not flexible, nor have I ever been graceful. Luckily my pony, Ferrous, is saintly. It took me nine years back in the saddl...

Packing for Two Weeks in Mongolia

Packing for Travel to Mongolia is a bit intimidating, especially when attending a 480km endurance horse race with the Gobi Desert Cup.     The quiet encompasses me like a blanket, comforting in its embrace. Here, I will have no internet, no connection to the outside world I’ve relied on so long. Instead, I have the stars shining brightly above me, beckoning me with their winking glow. In the distance, a wolf howls, while the Mongolian horses wander off in search of grass. There has been a mas...

The Proof is in the Pony

Having a pony after so many years is amazing. It’s better than I ever imagined. Having a pony like Ferrous? Priceless.   I know it’s easy to take for granted things in life. Having a horse is not one of them for me. I can’t imagine after 40 years of dreaming of having my own horse, that I will ever take it for granted. My dreams came true. I rode Ferrous, a lesson pony at Lancaster Equestrian Stables, for perhaps two or three months prior to buying him. He was an adjustment after two years sp...