August/Septemer 2026 Issue

August/September 2026 | EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN 44 YOUR ONE STOP TRAILER SHOP, SINCE 1986 KINGSTON - HAWK FOUR STAR - SHADOW WE CARRY ALL TYPES OF TRAILERS! HORSE - STOCK - CARGO DUMP - EQUIPMENT -NEW YORK STATE PLATES & REGISTRATION ISSUED ON-SITE -TEMPORARY OUT OF STATE PERMITS USED -FULL SERVICE DEALER 2201 STATE ROUTE 17K MONTGOMERY, NY 12549 Go ahead... Ask da Mare Dear Mal…A woman I work with just purchased a (very expensive!) horse, which was born and trained in Germa- ny. I overheard her telling some of our co-workers about the horse, and how much it cost and how hard it was to ship it to the US. Although I’m not especially close to this person, I do wonder why on earth she had to go to Germany to get a horse. Apparently, she is a very ac- complished rider and does a lot of horse shows. Her lifestyle is a lot grander than mine, and I hear her telling people about all the places she and her husband travel to (if you askme, it seems a bitmuch). I’m wondering about how she’ll tell her Ger- man horse what she wants it to do. She doesn’t speak German—she talks a lot about France, and how she speaks French fluently.What do you think? Curious Co-worker Dear Curious…sounds like this lady is getting under your skin a bit, no? She’s probably genuinely excited to have this horse, and she does what lots of people do—they talk (maybe excessively) about their wonderful horse to their friends. But it’s really not uncommon for people to buy horses from overseas, especially equestrians who are accomplished riders andwhocompeteextensively.So,thislady probably found a horse that matched her skills and her aspirations, and she had the means to buy the horse and bring it to the US. As for communication through a lan- guage barrier, it’s not an issue for eques- trians.The communicationbetween rider andhorse is almost all body language.The rider urges the horse forward, changes di- rection, slows the horse down and stops him with virtually no words. The rider changes position in the saddle, applies leg pressure, tightens the reins, etc., and the well-trained horse responds. It’s an ex- traordinary “conversation.” I think your curiosity about your co-worker’s equestrian exploits warrants a deeper look, though. You seem to have more than a passing interest in her horse, but there also seems to be a whiff of resentment. Have you ever joined the conversation when she was talking about her horse, or her travels? Maybe getting to know her better would relieve some of the…what shall we call it…pique...that you’re carrying around. It might take a little courage to join in the conversation, but you’ll probably find that this person is a lot more than a lady bragging about her horse.The world needs more people who are willing to step outside their precon- ceptions and comfort zones and interact with others. Go for it! Dear Mal…My beautiful gelding is 30+ years old. He is still healthy and strong—although a bit thin. I cut up ap- ples for him and talk to himwhile he eats the pieces. Today when I got to his stall, he was just standing there, drooling. Bub- bly drool was just dripping from his lips. He dove right into the apples when I put them in his bucket. He kept eating them, occasionallydroppingapieceon thefloor. But he retrieved the pieces quickly and ate them. I had never seen him just standing around drooling before. What do you think happened? Should I call the vet? Worried Dear Worried…there are a lot of things that might cause a horse to drool the way you’ve described. Least worri- some is the possibility that he may have eaten something out in the field—but- tercups, or clover that came along with a fungus. The resulting drooling is often called “the slobbers,” a name that is truly apt. Another possibility is that your horse may have a broken tooth, or an injury to his gum or his mouth. Sometimes, while they’re grazing, horses latch onto a de- licious clump of grass that is part grass and part thorny weed.The thorns can get stuck inside the horse’s mouth and cause drooling. Most troubling is drooling caused by choke. If your horse has some- thing caught in his esophagus, and can’t swallow, he will show several more ob- vious symptoms. Besides drooling, there will be coughing, and he’ll be stretching his neck, and obviously uncomfortable. It sounds as if your horsewas not inanydis- tress, he was merely drooling. You might want to take a look at his teeth and gums, to see if he has any injury from thorns or sharp sticks. Also, check to see if he has any broken teeth. Some horses don’t like people looking in their mouths, so be careful. If your horse doesn’t display any signs of discomfort or anxiety, he’s prob- ably got the slobbers. But keep an eye on him and ask your vet to take a look at his teeth. Congratulations on being a very attentive and engaged horse person. Your horse is very lucky.