In December 2020, the equestrian education site Horse Rookie published a Q&A interview with Dr. Stacie Boswell about helping horses in need — from training and bonding with an abused horse to wildfire evacuation planning and the many ways everyday horse people can support rescue.
How to Help Horses in Need: A Veterinarian’s Perspective
A Q&A interview with Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS — published by Horse Rookie, December 21, 2020
Each answer pairs practical guidance with the “rookie mistakes” she sees most often. Asked at a high level how to help an abused horse, she puts the foundation first:
With respect to training, the foundation must be patience! The most important training tool is to become well versed in reading horse behavior and body language. The slower we go with training, the faster we’ll reach our ultimate destination — deep trust between horse and human.
The interview also covers safely refeeding a starved horse, how to tell when a rescue is truly healthy again, and organizations worth supporting, from the Right Horse Initiative to the United Horse Coalition. It closes with the story behind the book, when she is asked what “rookie mistake” of her own made her a better advocate:
The first story in the book, the one about the older couple without the resources to take care of their horse, still makes me wish I had been able to communicate with them more clearly about the dangers of refeeding syndrome. Perhaps if I had worked harder to find resources to help rehabilitate the horse, she might be alive today with the people who love her. My failure to save this particular horse really inspired my entire book.
Read the full interview at Horse Rookie. The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need is available directly from Stacie or from Trafalgar Square Books.