About the Author
Heather Smith Thomas
Articles by Heather Smith Thomas
Camping With Horses and Mules
Riding into the backcountry and camping with your horses or mules can be a lot of fun if you plan ahead and are well-prepared.
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Dental Care for an Old Horse
An old horse often needs more dental attention than a younger horse. Learn how to provide the best tooth care for your senior friend.
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Cow Butchering at Home
People who raise cattle generally harvest some for the family table. Often the ideal butcher animal is a heifer that didn’t become pregnant.
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Wintering Calves with Their Mothers
Some people think wintering calves with their mother won’t grow well on forage, but they actually do quite well.
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Pulling a Stock Trailer
Preparing your truck and trailer for a trip, practice pulling a stock trailer, drive in traffic, and being safe for you, others, and your livestock.
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Preventing Cold Stress in Cattle
Cold stress in cattle adversely affects cattle health and well-being. Providing adequate nutrition to cows and calves can reduce illness or loss of animals.
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How to Take Care of a Newborn Calf
After a calf is born, especially if it was a hard birth or you had to pull him, ensure he’s breathing.
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Tips on Properly Giving Cattle Injections
Cattle injections are often necessary. Vaccines, antibiotics, injectable vitamins, scours, etc. should always be administered properly to be effective.
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Safe Ways to Restrain a Horse
A well-trained horse might stand still because they trust the horseman, whereas a high-strung, untrained, or spoiled horse might vigorously protest or try to get away —and some type of restraint is necessary to hold them still.
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Low-Stress Calf Weaning
Weaning time is stressful for cattle. Many people have found better ways to wean than putting calves in a corral and taking the cows away.
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Care of Older Horses
Health and body condition should be monitored since certain issues need to be recognized and addressed when caring for older horses.
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Minimizing Heat Stress in Cattle
Minimizing heat stress in cattle can make the difference between life and death in your herd. Hot weather, especially if it’s humid, can be hard on cattle, and they may be at risk for heatstroke.
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Basic Hoof Care for the Horse Owner
“No foot, no horse” is an old saying that is still true. A sound and healthy hoof is crucial to the health and function of the horse. Regular hoof care is one of the most important aspects of keeping a horse.
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Dealing with Diphtheria in Calves
Diphtheria in calves is generally more serious — and more noticeable — than in adult cattle. Diphtheria is an upper respiratory disease and is an infection and/ or inflammation of the vocal folds of the larynx (voice box) at the back of the throat.
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Feeding Dairy Calves
The most important thing for feeding dairy calves is to get colostrum as soon as possible into a newborn calf. After that, the calf needs adequate milk or milk replacer until weaning age.
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