October 2026 Issue

October 2026 | EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN 44 Go ahead... Ask da Mare Dear Mal…Everywhere I look these days, I see evidence of ticks. My dogs come in from our trail walks with them, I find them on my- self after gardening and—perhaps most con- cern-ing—I find them on my horse. The dogs get regular preventative treatment, and I can usually spot ticks before they begin snacking on me. But I worry about my horse. And, also worry about what is happening that is making ticks an almost-year-round problem. What are the health issues horses face from tick bites? Is there a vaccine to protect them? We live in South Jersey and the ticks started showing up here in late January! — Concerned Dear Concerned…You are not imagining the tick situation. It’s true that the ticks just never seem to go away. We’re accustomed to a few wintry months when ticks are not around. But there is one sneering culprit that is helping ticks thrive: warmer winters. Our winters have been getting warmer and even though we get a few days or even a week of bitter cold weath-er, those bursts of cold are not enough to thwart the life cycles of the ticks. During periods of bitter cold, ticks hide out under piles of leaves or other debris and are much less active. But they’re not dead! Give them a couple of hours of warmth and sunshine, and they’re on the hunt for victims. Horses can develop Lyme dis- ease and anaplasmosis from tick bites. Symp- toms of Lyme disease include swelling of the joints, lameness, difficulty walking, etc. When it’s caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Anaplasmosis is actu-ally a more common tick-borne disease in horses than Lyme, and symptoms include fever, leth- argy, swollen limbs and jaundice. Like Lyme, anaplasmosis is treated with antibiotics. Life for a tick is not without threats, though. Opossums, chickens, guinea fowl and wild turkeys eagerly hunt for and devour ticks. Who’s counting? Re- searchers have noted that one opossum can rid the world of 5,000 ticks per sea- son. Who knew that those little devils could be such heroes? While we have allies like opossums and chickens in our war against ticks, each of us has a role to play in ensuring the health of our horses. Tick checks, routine veterinary care and watching carefully for any signs that the horse is not behaving normally. We’re their chief advocates, and the front line in the tick war. Soon there will be new tools avail- able for those charged with caring for horses. The United States Department of Agricul-ture’s (USDA) National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) launched a comprehen-sive study in August. According to the USDA, there are six objectives of the study: to de-scribe trends in equine care, health management and disease occurrence over time; to de-scribe bi- osecurity and health management strategies at farms and shows; to describe use of veterinary services and their availability; to describe issues for equines at risk of neglect or abuse; to de- scribe owner preparedness for emergencies and natural disasters affecting equines; to estimate the prevalence of respiratory disease pathogens at events. Dear Mal…I recently moved to a new state and found a lovely stable to board my horse. There’s a huge indoor ring, and large wash stalls near the ring. The first week my horse, Caleb, and I were there, we laid kind of low, trying to get a sense of the “vibe” at the stable. Lots of people stopped to meet Caleb, give him a carrot, welcome us to the barn. We felt re-ally good. It had been a pretty rainy week, so I rode Caleb in the indoor, hung his bridle on the stall door and walked him up to the wash stall. A woman asked me if that “garish bright tan” bri- dle was new. Then she told me never to back a horse into the wash stall (Caleb backed right up to the back wall without any complaints). “It’s dangerous, and he could strike out at you.” She asked me where I learned to ride, and how I de- cided that jeans were a better choice than rid- ing pants. It had been a week of ups and downs for Caleb and me, and I was kind of floored by this woman’s arrogance. But I was also nervous about how to re-spond. If she were some kind of arbiter of taste and dress and horse manners, I worried about offending her. Caleb’s tack is a matter of pride for me. I spent a lot on it, because I tru-ly love him and want him to be totally comfortable. And safe. So, instead of answering this woman, I just kind of stared at her, told her my horse would never hurt me and that I didn’t know what she was talking about regarding the bridle. By this time, several other riders had sort of gathered around behind this woman, and they were looking at me, smiling. I already paid for two months of board and turnout at this barn, and don’t want to forfeit the money. But I wanted to just cry after this encounter. What should I do? — Caleb’s Mom Dear Caleb’s Mom…Well, clearly the lady who confronted you has issues of her own. It’s a shame that your introduction to the person who is probably the barn’s resident shrew was so public. There seems to be no shortage of experts looking for “victims” to shower with unwanted advice. In a case such as this, your decision to try to ignore this woman was the right one. As you pointed out, several people at the barn had already stopped by to meet you and Caleb, to welcome you and to offer carrots to Caleb. Bank on those folks. Don’t bother rehashing this event with the people who had been nice to you—they probably already know this woman and have likely been in her cross- hairs before. As for your “garish” bridle, and your choice of riding in jeans, these are your choices and your decisions and your pre-rog- atives. The fact that you were worried about offending this woman indicates that you have a degree of empathy and compas- sion that she lacks. At some point, you might exercise that empathy and ap- proach her for a private chat. You don’t need to revisit the confronta-tion but focus instead on getting to know her a bit. You may be surprised to find that this lady is just lonely and sad, or that she is struggling with personal problems. You may dis-cover that you have a lot in com- mon besides horses. Who knows? She may wind up being a friend! Remember that leading with compassion is a sign of strength, and it can open even the heavi- est door. Good luck!