Back Cove Equine Veterinary Care

17/06/2024

Food for thought. This is applicable to humans’ interactions with any animals, whether it be on their backs or on the ground. Please always choose patience and kindness.

In terms of bad horsemanship, there are few things worse than doing things that make a horse nervous and anxious, and then punishing the horse for the “bad” behavior that the rider caused.

And every day, any place that humans deal with horses, this is exactly what we see so much of.

It is easier and more satisfying to blame the horse than to blame our inability to train and ride well.

Learning how to ride and train well enough to create calm, willing partners is hard. Not too many riders can do it, but most think they can.

And that’s why the vicious circle keeps playing out, the rider does something to make the horse worry. The worried horse reacts. The rider punishes the reaction. The horse gets more worried and ramps up the reaction, which makes the already annoyed or angry rider react with MORE pressure, and yet another World War Three is under way. We watch this all the time.

Go for a walk instead, Learn to ride, maybe?

15/05/2024

I had the privilege of being Michael’s vet and friend for 21 years. His kindness, love of life, bubbly personality, and raucous laugh will be sorely and deeply missed.

Thinking of the Fralich family and everyone who loved Michael. Life is so very fleeting.❤️

NEW GLOUCESTER - Michael Fralich passed away on May 7, 2024, just minutes before his 73rd birthday. He started his journey ...

20/04/2024

Just a reminder about emergencies.🚨🏥🚨

If you have an emergency situation with your horse, (something which requires immediate attention) please CALL the office number (207-370-1645). The voice message will always have the phone number or pager number for the doctor on call. 24/7.

If you are calling during regular business hours (8-5 Monday-Friday), Katy will answer the phone and assist you.

Please DO NOT text the office for emergencies. The office phone is not monitored after-hours or on the weekend.

07/04/2024

Wondering how your horse or other animal might react to the solar eclipse tomorrow? The truth is it’s hard to know how they’ll react! Best advice is to keep your dogs and cats inside during the event. If you’re worried about your horses, keep them inside the barn for the afternoon. Make sure that whether your horses are inside or outside for the event, they have plenty of hay to keep them occupied and that they’re in a secured and safe area.☀️🌑🌎

"It appears that dogs are more likely to react to the eclipse than cats," animal biologist Austin M. Garner told Newsweek.

13/03/2024

Well, the clocks have sprung forward, the days are longer, little crocuses are popping their purple heads up out of the muddy ground, and we are going home covered in various shades of horse hair. I guess spring is here!🌷

Make sure to contact us soon for your spring appointments… the schedule is filling quickly!

We look forward to seeing you and your creatures on our spring farm call rounds!🐴🐴🐴

25/01/2024

♥️

The MSSPA is blessed to rely on four veterinarians to guide the care of the herd. Any animal owner knows the need for their care happens regardless of the time of day, or time of year; our vets are often summoned to the farm on the moment's notice, and visit frequently, year round, to oversee routine care for the herd. The Society is so grateful for the expertise and kindness of Veterinarians Tom Judd, Lila Solomon, Nicole Mailhot, and Rachel Flaherty. A little snow didn't deter Dr. Flaherty from her scheduled dentals this morning! #

20/01/2024

We love our old guys and gals… and their owners, too.

Grateful to have so many wonderful, dedicated senior horse stewards in our practice🙏🏻♥️

I see you out there, and I love you for every sacrifice you have made.
I've mentioned it before--I adore shooting elderly horses. Not so much for the actual horse--i love the grumpy dudes and dudettes who are stingey with their ears, of course--but my absolute adoration comes from the people behind every single grey hair. Every single dropped back. Every single ridge in a carefully managed foot.
I see you, old horse owners. I see the promise you made your old friend--that he'd never leave your side again, that he'd never have to worry about a next owner. That he'd never load on a trailer bound for the unknown.
I see the expense it takes in dollars and worry. The careful diet you obsess over, the careful turnout buddies and just the right pasture with the perfectly not-too-big rolling pit.
I see you beaming at your old horse--proud and happy they are still proud and happy, despite not having sat on their backs for sometimes decades.
I see you-sometimes barely scraping by with two horses, sometimes barely scraping by with one. I see what you've done--the bills you've paid month after month because your old friend is still happy to live.
I see the joy your old friend brings you when he tilts his head just this way, and the way he stands just inches from your hair-both of you breathing one another in.
I see your impending heartbreak for the day you may have to make that final decision. I see your internal struggle--is he happy? Is he ok? Am I keeping him around for him or me?
I see your tears thinking about that day, and the tears of joy reliving his youth.
To everyone with an old horse, I see you, and I respect and love you. 💕

18/01/2024

Please make sure to keep your donkeys warm and dry this winter! Every animal is different, but many of these guys and gals appreciate blankets and rain sheets to keep them comfortable temperature-wise in the cold weather!🥶❄️🫏

13/01/2024

Dr. Flaherty and Jazmin are out of the office until 1/23.

Katy will be still be handling your calls, emails, and texts at the office…. so feel free to be in contact with her! If you have an emergency, please call the office at 370-1645 to get the contact information for the doctor on call (as per usual!)

Have a great weekend everyone!🩵

10/01/2024

Looks like the tooth fairy will be making a stop at this farm!🧚🦷

Baby horse, Theo, had a few caps removed during our dental exam. He handled the procedure like a champ and his mouth should be feeling a little more comfortable now!

Any guesses on Theo’s age?🤔

07/01/2024

Last week Back Cove Equine celebrated our 10 year anniversary! Hard to believe! The years have flown…and I am so very grateful to each one of you for your support over the years. Caring for your beloved animals is my true honor and privilege.

Thank you, thank you.💗🐎

05/01/2024

Deciding the “right” time for an animal to be euthanized is not always easy. At times it is obvious, such as an acute onset of severe colic or injury. Other times it is more subtle: having more trouble getting up and down to roll, not taking pleasure in the things they used to, having more bad days than good….When the time comes, we are often called upon to help navigate this greatest of decisions and help counsel owners.

Senior horse, Prince, recently made his way to the next world, after his owner gave great thought to the winter ahead. He passed on a beautiful, sunny, crisp morning. His owner had a lovely group of friends and supporters nearby….who also loved Prince.

Theirs was a longterm relationship, and this was a very difficult, very loving decision. “You earned your place in the stars, my most handsome Prince of Maine".

Rest in Peace, dear Prince.

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each of you from all of us at Back Cove Equine! 🎄

We hope you have a wonderful day doing fun things, eating too much, laughing, and spending time with your human and animal friends.♥️💚💛

(✨My very favorite Thelwell cartoon✨)

21/12/2023

To many folks who knew and loved Babe, her recent passing is not truly ‘news’. This iconic horse, known for serving as the epitome of the perfect therapeutic horse, passed away in November….peacefully, on a beautiful day, and with a mouth full of grass.

“Babe was an exceptional horse for so many at Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center, and as a lesson pony at another barn before she came to RTT. She was the quintessential therapeutic mount—steady as the day is long, with a wonderful set of gears with two speeds at the walk and trot, and in her younger years a great canter. She's been to the beach, gone to a rider's home whose mom had ALS and couldn't get to the farm to see her daughter ride anymore, visited nursing homes and been a subject for veterinary tech students—all this on top of being such a steady force for RTT's clients. It was our responsibility to ensure that her long and well-lived life didn't end in distress or pain. A minute too late is many minutes too long. We let Babe go on a good day, and after visiting with all the herd members at the farm, she was peacefully laid to rest. RIP Babe, we know you were welcomed by those who have gone before you on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.”

Rest in peace, dear Babe… you are missed by many! Thank you for dedicating your life to giving humans joy and happiness and inspiring in so many a lifelong love of horses.♥️🌈🐎

14/12/2023

Pretty neat. Very talented folks🐎♥️

27/11/2023

We recently helped the incredibly stoic goat, Hunter, over the rainbow bridge. This little guy brought so much joy to so many folks over the years as they visited him at It Takes Two Farm.

“11 years ago, Hunter and his 3 siblings, Bentley, Blake, and Carrie came to our farm as bottle babies. We have loved watching them grow over the years and play around the farm. They loved stealing the camp kids lunches and going for walks around the farm. Hunter is now without pain and reunited with his brother Bentley…no doubt these two are up to something mischievous in heaven!Hunter will be greatly missed by all of us here at It Takes Two Farm.”

Rest in peace little Hunter… you will be missed by so many!♥️

23/11/2023

Happy Thanksgiving to all our wonderful clients! We hope you enjoy this beautiful day with family and friends!

We are grateful for all of you!💛🧡 💚🐴

16/11/2023

November.

Such a rough month. Shortened days. Dark at 4:30.

But sunsets like this.🧡💛💙

09/11/2023

Have you ever heard of Brooke, Action For Working Horses and Donkeys? If not, as horse lovers, you should! Check it out. This organization was started in the 1930s to help ex-war horses in Cairo, Egypt. Their work to help the suffering working horses of the world continues today.✨✨✨

The story of how Brooke began – taken from ‘The Lost War Horses of Cairo. The Passion of Dorothy Brooke’:

Dorothy Brooke’s soul was awakened one fall day in 1930 Cairo, when she first glimpsed sick and starving cab horses at the city’s main train station, English horses with the arrow brand of the British Army still visible on their flanks. A woman of privileged background, who was only in Egypt because her officer husband was posted there, Dorothy looked at these animals’ ravaged bodies and into their lifeless eyes, and she knew that something needed to be done, and that she was the one to do it.

She would spend the next quarter-century of her life working to help ease the sufferings of these betrayed warriors. Once she had rescued all of the war horses that she could find, she turned to the sufferings of native horses, mules and donkeys. And she developed a philosophy for their human owners, caught in the same wheel of pain as their working animals. Blame poverty, Dorothy said, not the men degraded by it. Strike the problem at its root – the need for education of owners in proper, regular care for their animals - and you will have improved the life not just of animals but of owners, of families, perhaps even of society as a whole.”

To this day we continue our work across Asia, Africa and Latin America following that very message that Dorothy voiced back then in Egypt.

Learn more about our history here: https://bit.ly/3Qt0RcS 🐴

06/11/2023

Heads up!

The office is CLOSED🚫Wednesday. Katy is taking a personal day and we will not be on the road.

Please reach out Monday or Tuesday for any office-related needs! Per usual, Dr. Flaherty will be available for emergencies via pager. Always call the office number for contact info in the event of an emergency. 207-370-1645.

04/11/2023

One of the best things about life on the road (and sometimes the worst thing!) is we never know what each day will bring. We never know who we might see in a day, what oddball case we may treat, or which end of the state we’ll end up in. It’s just part of the magic, draw, and utter romance of this job.😬😵‍💫😆

If any of you know Jazmin well, you’ll know that it’s no surprise a chicken would be drawn to her. In fact we’ve never had a chicken so interested in what we were doing on a farm. Such a neat little creature. When she perched on Jaz’ shoulder, it brought a smile to all of our faces.

Enjoy your weekend, friends!♥️🐓

24/10/2023

On a beautiful fall morning, not long ago, beloved friend and companion, Magic, made his way to heaven.

He was a “heart horse” for his owner and they were together for 20 years. Countless rides, competitions, lessons, clinics, hacks, and grooming sessions. He instilled a love of horses in her 2 children, and helped others learn to ride and be around horses.

So much trust, so much love, such a wonderful relationship. So hard to let them go, but in the end… it is up to us to make that most unselfish decision when the time comes.

Our hearts go out to Sarah and her family. You made the decision which was best for Magic, even though it was oh so difficult for you. Rest in peace, Magic, we will remember you as a true gentleman. You were a pleasure to care for, and a piece of all of our hearts go with you♥️

21/10/2023

♥️♥️♥️

19/10/2023

If you haven’t vaccinated your horses yet this year, please do! West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis Viruses are currently alive and well here in Maine.

Reach out if you have questions or need to get your horses vaccinated pronto!🦟 🦟🦟

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's (DACF) Division of Animal Health and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) have confirmed new cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in several emu flocks and multiple horses across Piscat...

18/10/2023

Inspiration from our horses for this Wednesday morning🙂

12/10/2023

The Maine horse community suffered a great loss when Robyn Cuffey passed away a few days ago.

I know I’ll miss that sarcastic sense of humor, wry smile, and her catch phrase, “just another brown horse”.♥️

Thanks for all you did to help horses in our state, and particularly the often forgotten-about standardbreds. I can’t even imagine how many “brown horses” greeted you at the gates of heaven.🌈🐎💓

Rest in peace, Robyn.

05/10/2023

Please follow the amazing story of this very lucky fox, Phoenix, and the incredible rescuers at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue🩷🦊

03/10/2023

♥️

On a sunny September afternoon, several dozen eager spectators lined the rail at the State of Maine Dressage Association’s final show of the season. The first strains of Chubby Checker’s iconic hit “Pony Time” began to play, and Robyn Cuffey, bedecked in a homemade pink satin poodle skirt a...