Recent content by LadySam

Wow. I stick my head in here for the first time in a couple of years and there's a Ted update. Lucky timing! And how wonderful to see him looking so well and happy.

Can't you claim for your horse's dental work under your normal vet fee cover?

Nope, didn’t agree with you at all. While it is a fact that racehorses can’t get vet fee insurance cover, I said that not being able to insure for vet fees does not stop owners spending money on vet fees and syndicated ownership helps share the load. Here, if a racehorse needs veterinary...

Correct. Some are lucky enough to get a little bit of turnout over the border at the Conghua track where there is more room, but AFAIK it's only for very short term spelling or injury rehab. Horses in work never get turnout. I have had to insure many horses going to Hong Kong to race. It's...

I'm going to sandwich my questions between two realistic good news stories. Settle in. :) Story 1: Marty. One of my own ex-racehorses, came to me with the equine equivalent of PTSD from some bad experiences in his racing days. He was always well-mannered and kind with no dirt in him but...

Ovaries were my first thought. Ovary issues are under-diagnosed and often start as ulcer and/or lameness investigations.

May I add my $0.02 as both an international observer and someone whose job revolves around horse prices? This is an observation, not a criticism. Asking price is not the same as fair and realistic market value. At least, the two are very rarely the same, especially with private sellers...

Yep! I grew up riding and schooling with the Australian version of this. Very plain Barcoo bridles, no noseband, old-timey string fly veil on the browband. Nosebands and doubles only made an appearance when competing.

Cat's Ear, also Fireweed or Flatweed in my neck of the woods. And apparently, my neck of the woods is the world's capital of pastural stringhalt. Do bear in mind that there are two distinct, different kinds of stringhalt. There's the toxic, pasture based one (Australian Stringhalt) and what...

Agree. You’re under no obligation to explain your deepest thoughts on anything so don’t feel like you have to. This. Multiple others have said this already and this is the main thing I came to say.

And this has now been taken down.

I still think about the one that got away when I was retraining and rehoming OTTBs. He was 4 years old, about 17hh, grey. Absolutely gorgeous. Half brother to Winx. He'd been purchased by Godolphin as a yearling for $280,000, given the best training but after three barrier trials was deemed...

I’m thinking you’re worrying about nothing. From what I can make out from what you’ve said, although he’s looking and feeling better, he’s still unrideable with the bucking and rearing problems that you haven’t actually resolved, yes? I can’t imagine anyone forking out $5K for an unrideable 17yo...

Mounting up at the beginning of a group lesson of mixed abilities. Me: fairly advanced. Some others: absolute novices. "Watch how Lady Sam gets on," says the instructor, thinking I would be a sterling example. I absent-mindedly placed my right foot in the stirrup instead of the left, swung...

Not a dog, but my dear departed Russian Blue cat. When I first got him as a kitten the RSPCA was running a tv ad featuring abandoned kittens. He would investigate all around the living room for the source of the distressed mewing. Later, I discovered he was a fan of ‘Boobahs’ - a sort of...