Dr. Robert Miller's Articles

I recently saw a video of a group of donkeys grieving over the death of a herd member. It was so touching to hear the group braying, inspecting the body and very visibly displaying their concern and grief. The intelligence and awareness of this long...

Thank you Charles Darwin for helping us to understand Evolution. Without our respect and our acknowledgement for the evolutionary process, we could not comprehend the qualities each species has required to cope with its ever-changing environment. If any...

The modern horse, and its evolutionary cousins, originated in North America as Eohippus, a multi-toed mammal about the size of a lamb. Domestication occurred in several parts of the world and, once domesticated, the equine species had a profound effect...

I wrote this on the last day of the Cowboy Dressage World Finals Show, at the Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center, an immense facility out in the middle of nowhere (sprawling, rolling grasslands). I love this event for several reasons. It is a competitive...

Some species, including Homo Sapiens (That is US!) can, if the individual is healthy, tolerate sudden changes in diet without problems. But, other species, especially the herbivores (grazing animals) can suffer if the diet is changed abruptly. The...

When I was young, starting previously unhandled colts on summer jobs for cattle ranches in several states, the term “colt” usually referred to 4 or 5 year old horses. Occasionally, one was older, maybe 6 or 7, or, rarely a 3 year old. The...

I opened my practice in rural California in 1958, hoping to establish a group practice. By the end of the first decade I had two practice partners, Dr. Bob Kind and Dr. Larry Dresher, both Kansas State University graduates. It was July, and I was on...

It is March 28, 2020. There is never a time without problems. That’s life. However, some of our primary problems are unique. Certainly the Corona Virus has created a national emergency, and our responses to that emergency are unlike those our nation...

Recently there has been increased interest in the injuries, including fractures that occur at our racetracks. This has agitated many people and caused some to campaign against the sport. Those who are concerned about the problem, and frankly, all persons...

During my practice career I treated countless hundreds, perhaps thousands of horses for colic (acute gastric or intestinal pain). Most survived, but many died. A majority was due to human error. The caretakers made avoidable mistakes. Similar errors...

The largest group of horse owners in the U.S.A. ride purely for recreation. For pleasure. For the relationship with the horse. To enjoy the out of doors activity. The people involved in the competitive riding disciplines (Western, English, Dressage...

I heard you ring, come in my friend! I was watching TV news, The price of gold, the rioting, and politicians' views. There's been another murder, a plane crash, an earthquake, too. Come in and watch this rocket launch, It's been long since...

Fred Stone, the world’s foremost painter of horses, has been a client, neighbor and friend for half a century. Fred’s paintings, mostly, but not exclusively, are of Thoroughbred racehorses. Living in a modest rural home as long as I have...

I am a compulsive reader. Always have been. I keep a book in each bathroom, next to my bed, on the dinner table, in my car, several where I watch TV (I read during commercials), and I even carry my own books or periodical journals to my doctor’s...

One of the things that I have noticed horse owners to be the most negligent about is foot care. Proper and regular care of the feet is an essential part of good horse care. Now, that does not necessarily mean shoeing. Many horses are not worked enough...

I read, recently, that 90% of the population of the U.S.A. now lives in large cities. How different from the first half of this nation’s history, when a majority of the inhabitants lived in a rural environment, either on farms, or in small communities...

Okay! I normally watch only four TV channels, two to get opposing political positions, one for its veterinary and wildlife programs, and one for its once a week reality humor. So it has been a drag for me to watch otherwise wasteful TV in order to collect...

Transmissible Diseases, also known as Contagious Diseases, are those which are commonly spread from one infected individual to another, usually of the same species, but also frequently of another species. This occurs because of direct physical contact...

I will be forever grateful to the Spalding Labs company for their Fly Predators. I have previously described how our relationship began many years ago. It was 1978. I had read about the Predator Flies, and my practice partner, Dr. Larry Dresher, was using...

Lulu was the only Donkey I have owned. She was one of my patients in a petting zoo, which was part of the facilities at a children’s summer camp in the mountains not far from my home. The petting zoo included miniature horses, pot-bellied pigs...

The dog has been called "Man's Best Friend", and I do not dispute this. The cow has been called "The Mother of Mankind". I can accept this. But, if these things are true, then surely the horse has been "Man's Best Servant"...

Ever since I became a regular user of Spalding Labs’ Fly Predators, over 40 years ago, I have recommended them for fly control to my clients, my neighbors and my seminar audiences. Invariably, those who heed my advice are satisfied with the results...

I have had several people ask me how I am able to teach horses or other equines, to allow dentistry (teeth “floating”) without resistance, using no means of restraint such as a twitch, or sedation or tranquilization. I will explain. You will...

Ronald Reagan was one of my clients before he went into politics. He owned a horse ranch just a few miles from my clinic. I only saw him twice, both times when he was riding and jumping in his arena. I never spoke to him. I dealt with his ranch manager...