Horses for Mental Health proudly presents a few of our 2024 Seen Through Horses celebrity ambassadors and Charity Partners! We are grateful for the invaluable support of these remarkable individuals whose vision aligns with our mission to increase awareness of the transformative healing power horses can bring to our lives.

Read more: Celebrity Supporters of the Seen Through Horses Campaign! (1:56)

Oklahoma State University professor, Extension equine specialist details poisonous plants impacting horses, shares harrowing first-hand account

The pastures were recently cleared from overgrown trees and brush, and Kris Hiney, PhD, Oklahoma State University assistant professor and Extension equine specialist, closely looked over the brush piles to make sure no poisonous plants or trees had surfaced. "All clear," she thought as she let her two horses back into the field.

"The very next day, they were already showing toxicity symptoms," Dr. Hiney said. "It turns out I did have black locust trees in the pasture, and when the horses had a chance to get to them, it almost killed them. I called my vet and said, 'This isn't colic. This is toxicity. And I need you here now.'"

Of the two horses, one had lower tolerance to the toxic tree. His heartrate was elevated over 90 for a full 24 hours and to save his life, he required three days of supportive care in the veterinary clinic. Luckily, both horses survived, but the situation could have been life-ending, if Dr. Hiney was not familiar with poisonous plants and signs of toxicity.

There are many poisonous grasses, plants and trees that can gravely impact horse health, such as black locust trees, Johnsongrass, white clover, maple trees, locoweed, tansy ragwort and black walnut trees. Fescue grass can be toxic to broodmares and their foals, causing thickened placentas and even abortions. Look to this University of Minnesota poster for pictures of poisonous plants and to better understand signs of toxicity.

Know these common toxicity symptoms:

• Change in behavior
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Neurologic issues
• Seizure
• Abnormal gait
• Tremors
• Stocking up or founder
• Elevated heart rate
• Brown or discolored urine
• Mouth blisters
• Colic

If horse owners fear their horse might have ingested a poisonous plant, "Call a veterinarian immediately," Dr. Hiney said. "If horses do not receive the right care, toxicity can be a big deal. Death is often a real possibility."

As the weather affects forage available to horses in turnout situations (especially with summer drought or winter conditions), horses are more inclined to ingest unfamiliar plants or leaves. To help prevent plant toxicity, make sure horses have adequate rations of quality hay or grass in front of them. Dr. Hiney encourages horse owners to work closely with their county extension agent to identify potentially harmful grasses, plants or trees that may surface in their pastures. Horse owners can also invest in a spray system to eliminate unwanted plants and weeds.

"Anytime there is something novel in their pasture, horses are going to investigate it," Hiney warned. "I thought everything in my pasture was safe, but it turns out I was wrong. Be very careful, and take a look at what now is accessible to the horses, because they will take advantage."

This article originally appeared on Valley Vet and is published here with permission. Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians for people just like you - people who want the very best for their four-legged friends and livestock.

All photos courtesy of Valley Vet.

There are more informative articles in our section on Health & Education.

Identify causes of stress to help prevent equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS)

Do you know what’s stressing your horse out? A recent survey found that an overwhelming majority of horse owners know that stress is one of the leading causes of ulcers, but only 33% can correctly identify all potential stressors when presented with a list of such.*

“Horses are prey animals, which means they naturally have a flight instinct,” says Sarah Reuss, VMD, DACVIM, Equine Technical Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Many, many years ago, this was a useful survival skill, but nowadays, it can result in horses experiencing more frequent moments of stress.”

The survey found that common “big” stressors such as a change in routine, confinement in a stall and a change in a horse’s social environment are easily recognized by over 80% of horse owners. It’s the smaller, everyday moments of stress that are often overlooked.

“Many moments that may feel uneventful to a horse owner can actually feel big to their horses and, left unaddressed, can contribute to gastric discomfort,” says Reuss. “So many things that we think of as normal can actually be causing our horses stress.”

According to the survey, some of the commonly unidentified stressors are training, change in turnout and traveling.

Training

For many horse owners, riding and training is a part of daily life. However, any change in training routine can potentially cause additional stress to your horse.

“If a horse is injured and has to abruptly take a break from training or is being brought back into work after some time off, these are changes in their routine that can cause stress,” says Reuss. “This can be particularly challenging for horses that are new to a training program.”

The type, intensity and frequency of training can also have an impact on stress levels. Consider incorporating intentional rest days into your training regimen to help manage any stress associated with training.

Change in turnout

By nature, horses should spend time outside for both their mental and physical health. Whether a horse lives outside full-time or comes into a stall at night, turnout is a crucial part of their wellbeing.

“Many horse owners think that leisure horses or pasture pets don’t get stressed or develop ulcers, but that’s simply not true,” says Reuss. “Weather events that cause changes in their turnout routine, such as a storm that requires them to stay inside for several days or prohibits them from moving around in the pasture as much, can slow their gastric mobility and cause stress.”

If your horse must stay inside longer than normal, consider providing them with additional stimulation such as stall toys, hand walks or a slow feeder.

Traveling

Just like traveling can stress humans out, it can cause our equine companions stress as well. Any amount of time spent on the trailer, whether it’s to a horse show a few states away or just a casual trail ride, can increase a horse’s stress levels.

“Horse owners should make sure that their trailer is comfortable for their horse and that they’re driving the trailer safely,” says Reuss. “For longer trips, consider providing hay in the trailer and making multiple stops along the way to offer your horse water or take them for a hand walk, if safe to do so.”

Horse owners can also consider playing Relax Trax during stressful situations, which is a music track specifically designed to reduce stress in horses. Listen to Relax Trax below and learn more about the science behind the music.

While stress is unavoidable, being conscious of changes to your horse’s routine and being proactive in addressing any potential stressors can go a long way for your horse’s gastric health.

*Stressors included in the list presented in the survey were: Stall confinement, Change in social environment, Training, Traveling, Change in daily routine, Change in turnout, Moving to a new barn, New neighbor or pasture mate, and Change in weather, such as thunderstorms.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim provides innovation for preventing and treating diseases in animals. The company offers a wide range of vaccines, parasite-control products, and medicines for pets, horses, and livestock to veterinarians, animal owners, farmers, and governments. As a leader in animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim values that the health of humans and animals is deeply connected and strives to make a difference for people, animals, and society. Learn more at www.bi-animalhealth.com.

This content originally appeared on Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and is published here with permission.

You can find more interesting stories in our section on Health & Education.

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

The intestinal microbiome has drawn a great deal of attention over the past decade. Scientists have learned how powerful this collection of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa is and the far-reaching effects the microbiome has on a horse’s health. One of the latest studies examining the intestinal microbiome found that microbiome diversity early in a foal’s life may predict future racing performance.^*

In the study, 52 Thoroughbred foals were followed from birth until three years of age. Spontaneously voided fecal samples from each foal were collected at nine different time points during the foal’s first year of life. Those samples underwent standard microbiome analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the types and numbers of bacteria present in those samples, and the diversity was calculated.

“Diversity refers to the number of individual bacteria in each of the bacterial species found in the intestinal microbiome. Higher diversity is linked to improved health, particularly in terms of the immune system. Because over 70% of the body’s immune system is in the digestive tract, nutrition can influence the immune system by affecting the diversity of the bacteria in the gut,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

In humans, lack of microbiome diversity is linked to several chronic diseases, such as insulin resistance, inflammation, diabetes, digestive disorders, and allergies. Some of these conditions also occur in horses, prompting further research on the intestinal microbiome in both species.

As expected, diversity was low in fecal samples collected from very young foals. But that diversity increased until 60 days of age.

In terms of athletic performance, official rating, average prize money earnings, and average race placings were the three selected outcome measures. A significant, positive association between fecal microbial diversity at 28 days of age and all three racing outcomes was identified. Further, a higher relative abundance of Anaeroplasmataceae on day 28 was associated with higher official rating, and a higher relative abundance of Bacillaceae on day 28 was associated with higher race placings.

Because it is an observational study, it is important to appreciate these results do not indicate a causal relationship. For example, having a higher abundance of Anaeroplasmataceae in young foals (one month old) does not cause better racing outcomes. This study does, however, indicate that microbial diversity may predict athletic performance later in life.

“This is the first study to look at the relationship between early-life gut bacterial communities and subsequent athletic performance. This study is relevant because maximizing athletic potential is a key to successful racehorse breeding, which is an industry that creates jobs and has a wide-reaching economic impact on communities,” noted Crandell.

This new data, together with the existing body of knowledge of the microbiome in foals and horses, highlights the importance of a stable and diverse microbiome for maintaining health.

This research identified a “critical window” when the composition of the microbial community in the digestive tract can affect the immunity and future health of an individual.

“We need to look more closely at early-life interventions designed to enhance the health and future of athletic performance of horses. While we are still not able to select for the growth of certain bacteria that might confer specific health or performance benefits, we are learning more about diet modulation and manipulation to influence overall health of the digestive tract,” said Crandell.

She did note, however, that the first month of a foal’s life is when they are highly dependent on mare’s milk.

“Paying close attention to the mare’s diet and environment might have the most influence on building diversity in the foal’s microbiome and improving its overall health and long-term performance,” Crandell suggested.

Promoting microbiome diversity in the mare can be achieved by:

• Feeding a diet rich in structural carbohydrates such as pasture, high-quality hay, and alternative fiber sources like beet pulp;
• Feeding minimal amounts of starch-rich concentrates;
• Avoiding abrupt changes in the diet;
• Minimizing stress, such as frequent herd-dynamic changes and transportation;
• Avoiding excessive physical exertion;
• Avoiding anthelmintics in the first month postpartum; and
• Being conservative when using antibiotics whenever possible.

Read more: Study: Intestinal Microbiome of Foals May Predict Future Racing Success

Presented by Dr. Lisa Fortier, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and recorded on Tuesday, October 15th via Zoom.

Intra-articular injections in horses are commonly performed with a multitude of justifications including the perceived source of pain, stiffness, poor performance, routine maintenance, radiographic changes, effusion, or post-operative care. There are numerous products available for injection including corticosteroids, autologous biologics, and polyacrylamide hydrogels, with new products constantly emerging for consideration. To determine which product to use when, it is important to have a current understanding of osteoarthritis (OA).

It has been known for decades that osteoarthritis is an inflammatory disease and therefore mediated by the immune system. OA is not an auto-immune disease like rheumatic arthritis, but there is clear involvement of immune in the initiation and perpetuation of OA. Inflammation in the joint follows that classic cascade of injury/inflammation with primarily neutrophil involvement, followed by cell proliferation and matrix remodeling during tissue formation with an influx of macrophages and monocytes, and finally cell differentiation with tissue remodeling with a predominance of T cells. All of this happens at the level of the synovial membrane where the inflammatory cells originate and infiltrate the joint fluid. Cartilage is an innocent bystander.

Therefore, medications/products for intra-articular use should target immune cells in the joint capsule or synovial fluid. Finally, all phases of inflammation are important; the goal is not to eliminate inflammation, but to ensure that the joint passes through each phase and doesn’t linger in any one phase which would lead to prolonged inflammation, tissue disorganization and scarring with loss of function. Categories of joint medications will be discussed from the lens of OA in an inflammatory disease of the joint capsule.

Read more: Intra-articular Approaches to Osteoarthritis - Cornell Equine Seminar (Oct 2024)

Troubleshooting Tricky Rides

by Susanna Wright

Horses are living creatures, like people, and will have good days and bad days. When your horse is having an “off” day, how do you determine what to do?

Say you have a horse who is normally mellow and easy-going, but today he surprises you with a buck while you’re riding. This could be caused by several different things, such as fear, pain or discomfort, a miscommunication in training or riding, or a behavioral issue.

These varying causes each warrant different responses, so it is important to be able to distinguish them.

Fear

As discussed in prior lessons, horses are prey animals that rely on a group or herd for safety.

If one horse in a group spooks or has a fear response, others will pick up on that and may react as well. This level of intuition and responsiveness has helped horses survive for thousands of years.

It is ingrained in equine DNA.

Unfortunately, this sensitivity extends to you, the rider/handler as well. If you are nervous, anxious, or scared, your horse will likely pick up on that.

Some horses will be more affected by a rider’s fear than others.

For example, a lesson horse may be pretty numb to typical beginner fear responses, but a high-strung, green horse may be more affected, thus requiring a more confident rider.

Need help managing your anxiety around horses? Check out the Facing Your Fears online course from our friends at Inspired Riding.

If your horse is acting up in a fear response, evaluate the situation.

Is it something you can control?

For example, if your horse is spooking at a plastic bag blowing across the arena, dismount and secure the object.

It doesn’t hurt to let the horse look at it and determine for him/herself that it isn’t going to eat them.

Remember, horses have better vision using both eyes, so it can be helpful to turn them to face the scary object and view it with binocular vision.

Pain

Pain can be a trickier cause to pinpoint.

First and foremost, if you believe your horse is injured or ill, immediately call your vet. It is best to involve a professional early on for the best long-term prognosis!

Enlisting the help of your vet to rule out a physical problem can be helpful in diagnosing the underlying cause.

Poor tack fit could cause a pain response.

For example, if your saddle is too narrow, it could pinch the withers.

If your headstall isn’t adjusted correctly, it could pinch the horse’s ears or cause the bit to sit incorrectly in the horse’s mouth.

Did you check your saddle pad before putting it on the horse? A burr or pokey object could cause irritation under the saddle.

Fortunately, tack fit issues are relatively easy to identify and fix.

Physical pain such as lameness can be more difficult to diagnose. While grooming your horse, always look for swelling, cuts, scrapes, or other signs of trauma or discomfort.

Colic can come on suddenly and cause a drastic change in behavior. Be alert to signs such as unusual sweating, pawing, panting, or biting at the abdomen.

Again, consult your veterinarian with questions if you think something is wrong. It is always helpful to have a physical examination done to rule out illness or injury as the cause of a problem.

Miscommunication

Horses do not all have the same buttons. For example, squeezing your heels against the horse’s sides may be a command to go faster, or it could be a command to stop depending on that horse’s training.

Even horses within the same barn could have different “buttons.”

A lazy horse may need more leg, while a more spirited mount may simply need the slightest bump to speed up. Work with a trainer to ensure you and your horse are speaking the same language.

Learn more about how to speak your horse’s language in Open Communications With Your Horse, an online course from Equestrian Movement.

Behavioral Issue

If you have ruled out fear, pain, and communication errors, you may be dealing with a behavioral issue. This category can be one of the most difficult to diagnose.

A few examples of behavioral issues include:

Speeding up when heading back to the barn. Some horses get “barn sour” and will refuse to leave the barn, or may take advantage of a timid rider and bolt back towards the barn.

This can generally be corrected with some retraining and the help of a strong rider.

Laying down in the arena. One particularly lazy horse learned if she laid down, her beginner rider would dismount and give up.

This behavior was quickly fixed with the help of an assertive rider who made the horse work even harder after pulling this kind of stunt. The horse quickly learned she would be better off, and get to stop working faster, if she behaved.

Biting when the girth is tightened. First, work with your trainer and vet to ensure that the response is not caused by actual pain or injury, and your equipment fits and is appropriate for your horse.

Next, tie the horse so that you are not in danger of being bitten.

Then, watch your horse’s reaction as you tighten the girth. If the horse tries to reach around and nip, do NOT release the pressure! That simply teaches the horse that negative behavior works. Instead, keep applying slow, steady pressure.

Only release it when the horse displays the correct behavior—calmly and nicely accepting the girth.

Repetition is key—you generally won’t fix a problem in one session. Being consistent and fair will help eliminate this particular behavior over time.

Remember that every time you interact with your horse, you are training them.

Be fair and consistent with your interactions.

Parting Thoughts

Identifying the root cause of an issue can be a lengthy, complicated process. Keep a mental (or physical) checklist of what may be responsible for an issue, and work through each possible cause from most obvious to least obvious.

By using the process of elimination, you can help pinpoint the root cause.

Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of your vet or trainer.

Remember the safety of you and your horse is important—unfortunately, pain, fear, and behavioral responses put both you and your horse at a higher risk of injury. Keep safety front-of-mind and ask for help if you need it.

This article originally appeared on Horse Rookie and is published here with permission.

You can read more interesting articles in our section on Health & Education.

Photographer Drew Doggett’s latest series, Icons, powerfully explores horses in ethereal and ancient settings. This 28-image print series, Doggett’s newest addition to his global documentation of horses, offers a nuanced and captivating look at their grace, strength, and lasting cultural impact.

The studio of award-winning fine art photographer, best-selling author, and filmmaker Drew Doggett is thrilled to announce the release of Icons, his latest series. Icons illuminates the beauty of horses in scenes existing somewhere between reality and fiction.

This series is a bold, visionary look by one of the most preeminent photographers of these animals. Each image borders on the surreal by incorporating ancient architecture, delicate fields of lavender, off-white, natural backdrops, endless expanses of salt flats, or epic, otherworldly rock formations. These images hold a sense of magic, revealing the heart and soul of these beloved animals at the tenuous edge of fact and fable.

Beyond the breathtaking, fantastic natural backdrops, other images invoke the wild freedom of a life spent on horseback and the dream of the West that is central to the American story. There are also portraits of Friesian horses, a breed of jet-black animals with silken manes and sheeny coats that feel both masculine and feminine at the same time. The images in Icons are rendered in Doggett’s signature tone, texture, and detail, bringing a timeless story to life in a richly evocative black-and-white palette. It is the latest addition to his best-selling equestrian photography.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Through a fashion-inspired lens, photographer and filmmaker Drew Doggett tells extraordinary stories of diverse cultures, animals, places, and communities. Drew’s photography can be found globally in private and public collections, notably the Smithsonian African Art Museum, the Waldorf Astoria, the Four Seasons, and those of Alec Baldwin, Gloria Steinem, Nicole Ari Parker, and Eric Church. He has received over 130 awards and honors for his images and films. Drew’s artwork has been featured in many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Conde Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Forbes, Bloomberg, Fortune, The Daily Mail, and Outside Magazine. He has partnered with brands like Ralph Lauren, Hasselblad, and Leica. His most recent book, Untamed Spirits: Horses Around the World, is a best-seller on Amazon; its second printing is starting soon.

You can view Icons online at Drew Doggett.

You can find more interesting stories in our section on Recreation & Lifestyle.

The following is an excerpt from The Horseman’s Tale by Tom Equels.

With a father’s eye and a father’s pride, I watched Monty develop. No one ever admits it, but every father has that “apple of my eye,” and Monty was my favorite. Again, in both his look and demeanor, he reminded me of my father. He attended Eton College in England. “College” in England had a different meaning than in the United States. It was a rough equivalent to a private high school for students over the age of sixteen to prepare for admission to a university. Monty graduated from Eton with distinction. As a fencing champion, he led the Eton team to capture the All-England Hampton Trophy, and as an individual, he won England’s Junior Saber Championship.

Consistent with our plan to bring him on slowly, Sean Mac started racing as a four-year-old. In America, the top racehorses started as two-year-olds, but for jumping and distance, waiting until three was far better for the horse. With Monty up, four-year-old Sean Mac won a couple of starter-level stakes races in Ireland. Then, as a five-year-old, he won both the Irish and French Nationals. In the English Grand National that year, Monty and his black stallion were sorely and deliberately fouled by two English competitors who were clearly working in concert. Even though it was deliberate, there was rarely any meaningful recourse in the steeplechase for a protest. It was a forty-horse free-for-all—rules be damned. Still, Sean Mac surprised us all in what turned out to be the equine version of a vicious rugby maul.

It was racing drama at its best. Sean Mac was blocked, with a slowing horse on each side, their riders raining blows with their leather bats. Monty’s public-school fencing skills saved the day, deflecting blow after blow with his own racing bat. Still, he saw no clear way out, trapped in an ever-pressing equine vise.

Then, Sean Mac lunged to the right and bit off the blocking gray gelding’s left ear, leaving the injured horse screaming and spraying blood. Monty, in an equally possessed moment, instantly took advantage of his adversary’s shock, slashing his racing bat across the face of the gray horse’s jockey. It broke the man’s nose and sliced open his cheek. The wounded gelding reared up and threw his equally injured rider to the ground. Sean Mac then sprinted through the chaos-driven gap and sought to take the lead, but he couldn’t make up the lost time. He came in third by eight lengths.

At the time, Andy Warhol’s famous expression came to my mind: “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” This Grand National melee looked like Monty and Sean Mac’s fifteen minutes of fame. Actually, “infamy” is the proper word. All of England’s prominent but notoriously muckraking newspapers smeared big front-page photos of the critical moment of Sean Mac biting and Monty slashing. Rider and horse were quickly branded by the English press as “The Savages” in sports page headline after headline.

In an act of bald-faced temerity, the two English riders who incited the melee filed a protest, seeking to ban Monty and Sean Mac from future competition in England. By the grace of God, an up-and-coming English filmmaker had videoed the whole incident, start to finish, for a documentary he was doing. He sent copies of the tape to both the track stewards and the BBC. The stewards, who were “the law” on the racetrack and unwilling to bend to chauvinistic pressure, exonerated Monty and Sean Mac, and in a rare act censured and fined—sua sponte—both English jockeys. The BBC backed the stewards by repeatedly broadcasting the video, including a follow-on stamp of royal approval with a video clip of the Prince of Wales, stating: “In England, we believe in fair play and good form.”

It seemed there was justice for an Irishman, and an Irish horse, in England after all.

As a six-year-old, winning every race he entered, Sean Mac was invincible. Sally, Katie, and I traveled to England for the following year’s Grand National and were seated in Viscountess Spennithorne’s box, near the royals. It was a family affair, with Lady Elizabeth, Eamon Cavanaugh, Rory and his wife Glenda, Gerry and Maureen, and Fitz with his date and future wife, Lady Margaret. A royal cousin, Maggie was craquant, smart, and funny, and beloved by her grand-aunt, the queen.

With Sean Mac’s fame, for the first time “Jake Montgomery” stood publicly as a player on a European stage. Even though I avoided public attention, interviews and the like, my increasing public profile was a problem with my undercover career. I was co-owner, trainer, and breeder of Sean Mac, rapidly emerging as the most famous horse in Europe. SOCOM, without even consulting with me, took me off field duty. When I voiced a half-hearted complaint to my handler, a thirty-something civilian who was probably an NSA or CIA bureaucrat, insult was added to injury with, “You are past twenty years of service and getting too old to do the job anyway.”

With that, the Marine Corps promptly promoted me from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel, setting the stage for my imminent retirement. James Gerald Long was retired too, with a fake death certificate (heart attack) and a marked grave at Shannon’s Lemenagh Cemetery.

These were his only rewards for years of service. In a goofily macabre hat-tip to my Irish alter ego (may he rest in peace), I visit him every now and then to lay flowers on his grave.

As part of my makeover, my public coming out, when I arrived in London for the English Grand National, I sported a new look. First, in an offering to the retirement gods, I put on an extra fifteen pounds. That was all it took to soften the lean-and-mean look. I draped the new me in a neat close-trimmed full beard, a tailored gray Canali day suit, a matching suede flat cap, and Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. Not a trace of my secret alter ego could be seen. The aging movie star look was my newly crafted public persona, my new mask. I liked the look! Been that way, with an ever-growing touch of gray, ever since.

The Grand National was a true extravaganza. We didn’t have anything like it in America—a free-flowing festival, with more than half a million people converging on Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool. In the Grand National race, there was no starting gate, and the field of competitors was always enormous. Sean Mac was the favorite among the mob of thirty-six entered horses. The race had two false starts before getting the runners away clean.

Monty, not wanting a repeat of what happened the previous year, quickly took the lead, showing tremendous early speed for a race of more than four miles with thirty jumps. The field then broke into a six-horse pack and thinned out from there. A hush overtook the crowd, with murmurs that the fast pace couldn’t be maintained for the distance. Then Monty and Sean Mac put down more early speed, leaving the pack behind. It reminded me of the greatest race I’d ever seen, when Sean Mac’s grandsire, Secretariat, won the Belmont by almost a furlong in world-record time.

Monty struck for home, leaving the number-two horse, Escalon, a furlong behind with only half a mile left to run. Wire to wire, I thought it a bold move and I knew it was a complete departure from the pre-race plan laid out by Rory. As they neared the finish, Monty tried to slow Sean Mac to preserve the horse. The win was secure, but the stallion was not slowing down. Yes, this was Old Pete’s son for sure, running the race his way. Sean Mac increased the pace for the finish, finding a reservoir of blinding speed. Monty did the only thing possible: enjoy the ride. Gerry and I looked at each other, beaming with pride in our son and our horse as they blazed across the finish line. Like two teenagers, we shared a high five.

That race was the pinnacle of my professional life as a horse breeder and trainer. I came up with the idea for his breeding. I helped birth him. Within minutes of birth, the long-legged mousey-blue colt was up and prancing in the foaling stall. I knew then he would be exceptional. I knew then that he would be raven black, as all truly black horses are born with a distinct bluish coloring. The colt had an aura of speed that I saw from the start.

I was a horseman, and Sean Mac was my masterpiece.

This excerpt from the novel The Horseman’s Tale by Tom Equels is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books.

About Tom Equels
Thomas Kenwood Equels, MS, JD, was knighted in the Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict in 2012. For decades he has bred and trained winning Thoroughbred racehorses and champion Paso Fino horses on his farm in Ocala, Florida. He has ridden Paso Finos born on his farm to numerous championships including an International Grand Championship at the prestigious USEF sanctioned Spectrum International. A combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, combat pilot and instructor pilot, Equels was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for heroism while participating in aerial combat, as well as the Purple Heart. He is a black belt in karate and was named one of the Florida Black Belt Association’s “Four Season Tour” champions, as well as a National Sport Karate Association (NASKA) National Champion.

As a lawyer, Equels received numerous federal and state awards for his high-impact pro bono work in civil rights, poverty law, and social justice cases. For over three decades he represented foreign states on an international basis, as well as the State of Florida. He also served private companies in the banking, insurance, aviation, pharmaceutical, and construction industries. Since 2016, Equels has served as CEO of Aim Immunotech Inc, an immunology research company focused on the development of therapeutics to treat cancers, immune disorders, and viral diseases.

The Horseman’s Tale
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This excerpt from The Horseman’s Tale is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books. Visit them online at Horse & Rider Books. All photos courtesy of Horse & Rider Books.

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