This time last year, my horses and I were enjoying ocean views, redwood trees, and lush green grass. If you ask me, there really is nothing quite as beautiful as Humboldt County California’s redwood coast. Add some of the best trail partners around and it’s really hard to beat. But for some reason, my husband and I had this itch to see new places and try something different. So in December (perfect timing to avoid another wet Humboldt winter), we packed up our family of two dogs and three horses and moved ourselves to Reno, Nevada. It’s taken some adjusting, but it’s turned out to be a great move for us and even better for the health and happiness of our horses.
As luck would have it, this winter has turned out to be one of the driest on record for our former stomping grounds, and one of the coldest and wettest Reno has seen in years (“wet” is relative, it’s still a desert). We’ve adjusted to the colder temperatures and we have settled in with the help of some awesome friends. We thought the horses would protest -2 degree mornings coupled with 20 mph winds but they really didn’t seem to notice. In fact, they seem to be thriving in the desert environment. My sweet, retired old girl, Sere, in particular seems happier than ever.
Before we moved to Reno, I was considering euthanizing Sere. Sad, I know. And trust me, I cried just thinking about it. This is a horse I’ve had 15 years! But she was laminitic and dull and some days she really had a hard time getting around. On her bad days, she’d need to wear Easyboot Epics with Comfort Pads just to be comfortable in the pasture. I decided to wait to make a decision, and see if moving her to a completely different environment would improve her quality of life.
Ouch. Sere’s California feet.
Four months after moving to Reno, we’re still using Easyboot Epics with Comfort Pads but now we’re using them on 10-12 mile trail rides. Sere is comfortable, bright eyed, and happier than ever. I have my horse back!
Sere’s Nevada feet. Much better.
I’m amazed and delighted with the changes I’ve seen in Sere in the last four months. This move has turned out to be exactly what she needed. A dry environment has been a huge help for her formerly thrushy feet. Now she has those rock hard desert hooves that horse owners love and hoof rasps hate. Taking the sugar out of her diet has been an important change too. Even though she only had access to small amounts of green grass in California, that was still enough to cause her to have frequent bouts of laminitis. Now she’s on a big, two acre dry lot so she has plenty of room to move around but absolutely no grass. To make up for the lack of grazing time, the horses have access to grass hay in slow feeders at all times. In addition to the diet and climate changes, I’ve also gotten help from a natural hoof care provider. I feel like I was doing okay trimming her myself but it’s always helpful to have a professional eye to point out any little things that can be improved (and FYI, if you’re in need of a barefoot trimmer, Jeremy Procopio, from Foresthill, CA, does a wonderful job and is building a clientele in Reno).
So, my four month evaluation of Reno is pretty great! I’m thankful to have my horse back and I’m very excited to get out and explore new trails with her. As always, I’m very grateful to EasyCare for making products that allow me to take the best care of my horses and their feet.
Renee Robinson
