Welcome to Catskill Horse.
Welcome to The Merry Band at the Catskill Horse. We hope you enjoy browsing our monthly online magazine. This .org digital magazine, began as a community resource serving the North East region of the USA, and has grown to reach a national and even international audience. The complete source for everything horse with a bevy of archived educational articles, tips and advice for multi-riding disciplines for horse owners everywhere that encompasses everything horse and rural lifestyle related.
Come join our Merry Band at the Catskill Horse. And don't forget to check in at our Facebook page.
A lot has changed in the last month in my writing life and there are many more changes to come in the near future, including here at Catskill Horse magazine.
Aside from the new publishing timeline moving from the end of each month to the middle of the month to better suit our staff schedules and advertisers’ needs, our stable of contributing writers is on the upswing so our “Merry Band at the Catskill Horse” continues to grow. Alongside this the viewership metrics are also climbing fast. All of these factors make this Editor very happy. Everyone loves their efforts to be appreciated and thanks to our all-volunteer team for putting forth such good work on such a consistent basis.
The Spring weather has at last truly arrived. I feel a great sense of enthusiasm as our busy clinic season approaches, and look forward to being out and about, meeting and greeting students new and familiar. Horses provide us with so many great opportunities and true friendships are one of the many blessings working with and around equines brings to our lives.
Here’s an important heads-up to our readers regarding the hay/forage marketplace:-
The desperately high diesel prices and new import tariffs are causing escalation of everything cost wise on the farm. This heavy increase in hay production costs will likely impact hay prices this season. Hubbie and I are fortunate that at our Catskill Mountain farm, Willowview Hill Farm, we have on reserve a good amount of beautiful soft, clean and green (early harvested and weed free) first cut horse hay. And as we usually do at this time of year, the balance of our reserve that we don’t need is available for sale. And still at the same prices as it was when it was last year.
Our home-produced forage, which we proudly organically grow and harvest, offers great savings for horse owners if they choose to restock now. While we have held our June 2025 pricing ($8.25 bale), other hay resources are charging ridiculous prices for hay. Dealers up and down the Hudson Valley and beyond are publishing prices of $17 plus a bale! Horse owners should realize the impact that the current Iran war will have on the marketplace. The 2026 expectation is for the hay commodity index to rise dramatically.
And as unlike our organic hay where we use no chemicals, 99% of the hay produced in large rounds and squares, and the majority of small square bales these days includes chemical additives like fertilizers and preservatives (pickle juice). Costs for these chemicals is through the roof. Farmers will either manage without which will reduce yields and thus reducing overall hay supplies which will increase pricing or add these costs to their price points. Either way, not good for the horse owner’s bank balance.
To brighter news - I am pleased to confirm that your reading of this magazine is still free, and this month we’ve some new delights to share. In our article from Tina Hammond, this veteran horsewoman offers her thoughts on training the equines in, “Horses Are Not Plug-n-Play”. Valid thoughts we should all keep front and center as we approach a busy training season. Not everyone has a young performance horse to bring along, and for many folks the senior horses in the yard often pose many questions regarding optimizing their care and quality of life. In our feature, “Are You Adopting the Best Horse Care Routines for Your Senior Horse?” we address the common concerns and how to resolve them.
And our third article is also about equine care and their quality of life. Keeping horses in a stall 24/7 is not ideal. There are many reasons that a combination lifestyle of turnout and freedom of movement managed with some stable time can be beneficial. You can read my thought on that here.
I do hope that everyone enjoys this latest issue!
Don’t forget to check in at our news page for lots of horse lover information, see the winners of our monthly book contest and find new events to attend on our very popular events page.
With heartfelt gratitude to all our supporters, viewers and advertisers alike who have helped keep Catskill Horse growing this far. We look forward to many more years to come as we build this digital publication and continue to reach far and beyond New York.
If you write and would like to contribute; have news you would like to share about your organization or activities at your farm, please email info@CatskillHorse.org
Please to visit our Facebook page and keep up on current news and come join the chat at the Catskill Equestrian Group too.
Happy Riding!
Nikki Alvin-Smith
Editor
Catskill Horse Magazine
Publisher: Horse in a Kilt Media Inc.
Horse in a Kilt Media Offers Marketing Help For Horse Businesses
Episode 100 features our own Horse in a Kilt Media Inc. Nikki Alvin-Smith, offering a world of advice on marketing techniques and savvy brand building in this podcast where she appeared as a guest of Horse Radio Network alumni Helena Harris. Take a listen!
Learn More About Horse Hay
Have you ever wondered where your hay comes from? In this episode, we learn about what it takes to produce the most important component of a horse’s diet. Plus, we learn about things like how to spot a good bale when you see one, how to measure moisture content, prevent spontaneous combustion, and more. Hay farmer, Nikki Alvin-Smith from Willowview Hill Farm Dressage, brings a ton of really interesting information.
Check Out Horse Radio Network Alumni Helena Harris Podcast Stall and Stable
Listen in for advice "Keeping a Grand Prix Dressage Horse".
Catskill Horse T-Shirts & Notebooks Now Available
Catskill Horse is pleased to announce that we now have T-Shirts, mugs and notebooks with 
our own arty design available for purchase to help spread the word.
Buy any one of our products - choose from our 100% cotton T's or buy a mug or notebook.
T-Shirts are available in Womens Fitted S/M/L/Xl and Unisex S/M/L/XL/2XL for only $20 plus $6.50 S/H. If you are located in NY please add 8% sales tax.
Mugs: $12.95 plus $6.50 S/H. Please add 8% sales tax if you are located in NY.
These fun notebooks are available for $11.95 plus S/H fee of $2.00. Please also add 8% sales tax if located in NYS.
Checks should be payable to Horse in a Kilt Media Inc., and mailed to P.O. Box 404, Stamford, NY 12167. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.
T-Shirts are available in Womens Fitted S/M/L/Xl and Unisex
Vaccine Risks?
Here is some advice on what to look out for as your horse is administered vaccines this season. There have been reports of some serious adverse reactions this year, so be vigilant and ask your vet for their advice and specifically what adverse vaccine reports they have received through their channels.
It’s important to be able to distinguish between minor side effects and those reactions that warrant a call to your veterinarian.
Normal Responses
After intramuscular vaccination, it’s fairly common for horses to experience mild, temporary side effects for a few hours such as:
• Local muscle soreness or swelling
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of energy or alertness
However, if the signs listed above last for more than 24 hours, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible to inform them of what is going on with the horse. This will allow your veterinarian to provide you with treatment advice and care instructions.
Causes for Possible Concern
Sometimes more serious side effects, and in some cases, life-threatening events, can occur, including:
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing
• Collapse
• Colic
• Swelling at the injection site several days post vaccination.
These more serious side effects are rare, but do require immediate consultation, and, in some cases, medical intervention.
Working with your veterinarian is the best way to ensure your horse is being evaluated based upon its particular needs. Many veterinarians follow the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ recommended guidelines for core vaccinations. Veterinarians can also be helpful in determining the need for other risk-based vaccinations based on an assessment of your geographic threats and travel plans. They are also familiar with the proper handling and administering of vaccines, which is important because those handled improperly can actually become ineffective or may increase the risk of side effects.
CH note: This advice comes from a leading vaccine manufacturer and is provided in excerpts.
Come chat on Facebook.
For lots of up to date news and events please fan us on facebook at www.facebook.com/CatskillHorse.
Want to chat too? Check out www.facebook.com/CatskillEquestrianGroup
Promote your event.
Have an event planned? Send us the details and we'll post it our events calendar page.
Do You Love To Write?
While Catskill Horse has a staff of professional contributing writers/reporters/photographers, Catskill Horse is always interested in receiving submissions of articles and photos for publication from new writers. We can provide a photo or authorship credit for those works accepted. Please do not submit via mail - we prefer email submission. Send your ideas/articles/wrap up features/photos to us at info@CatskillHorse.org marked attention Editorial. If accepted you will be notified via email.
Keep up to date.
Send your email address to info@CatskillHorse.org and we'll be sure to add you to our mailing list.