Seven Ways to Ease a Donkey’s (or Horse’s) Burden This Christmas

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It’s an unseasonably warm and quiet holiday season here at my parents’ little farm in Central Virginia. Exciting changes in family members’ lives mean there aren’t as many people bustling about the house this year. And for a girl who loves tradition, wistfully remembering banter over coffee in the mornings, along with trudging out in the cold, coats thrown carelessly over pajamas, feeding carrots to fuzzy horses/ponies/Minis on frigid Christmas mornings, this holiday feels a little “off.” (I was sitting outside, barefoot, on Dec. 22 É really?!)

But the holiday season isn’t necessarily about adherence to an established routine, and it surely isn’t about my comfort. I won’t get into a dissertation of the reason for the season here; after all, this is a blog on horse health. Indeed, this time of year has different meanings for everyone, but one thing we can all agree on is there’s a shared element of “goodwill toward men” written across our hearts this time of year. And recognizing where that goodwill needs to be directed can involve some discomfort É another reason Christmas feels a little off for me this year.

A man harnesses his horse after treatment at SPANA’s veterinary center in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia

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Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director, grew up riding and caring for her family’s horses in Central Virginia and received a B.A. in journalism and equestrian studies from Averett University. She joined The Horse in 1999 and has led the editorial team since 2010. A 4-H and Pony Club graduate, she enjoys dressage, eventing, and trail riding with her former graded-stakes-winning Thoroughbred gelding, It Happened Again (“Happy”). Stephanie and Happy are based in Lexington, Kentucky.

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