ALBANY - Like any 16-year-old, Maggie enjoys a manicure and a little "me" time. That's why Donna Sears of Albany brought her horse to a free equine clinic Saturday. Maggie not only had her hooves trimmed, she also was vaccinated and massaged during a kind of day spa for horses.

"It's what every old horse needs," Sears said, laughing. "I wanted to get her well checked before winter."

Sears also wanted to learn more about Linn County Animal Rescue, and what she could do to help.

Horse owners such as Sears took advantage of a free clinic Saturday offered by mid-valley horse professionals and volunteers.

From noon to 4 p.m., vets, farriers (also known as blacksmiths), a trainer, a nutrition specialist and others donated their services during a free health fair hosted by the Oregon Horse Welfare Council (OHWC) and Linn County Animal Rescue.

"It's been awesome," said Tammy Coleman, who brought in a foal and an unrelated mare from Lebanon. "We really appreciate everything. The trainer took some time with us."

The event at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany was set with several stations equipped for veterinary assessments, vaccinations, farrier care, equine chiropractic, training advice and equine nutrition. The advice and education, coupled with the services, would cost about $200, Beckstead estimated. But on Saturday, it all was free.

Tough times have meant that some horse owners have been forced to delay horse maintenance basics such a veterinary and hoof care. Authorities also have investigated more reports of starved horses across the state - especially in hard-hit rural areas.

Equine Feed Specialist Natalie McGowan was on hand to dispel common food myths and to educate owners on ways to feed their horses without breaking the bank. One such myth is that alfalfa is bad for horses.

McGowan thinks the myth originated from old-fashioned dairy alfalfa, which had too much protein. Today, alfalfa can be a great feed for horses that need to put on weight, she said.

Scott Beckstead, an OHWC member and senior state director for The Humane Society of the United States, helped organize the event. He said the group held a similar clinic in Sutherlin last May, and he wanted to offer the same kind of event to mid-valley horse owners, involving local experts and volunteers.

"We are going to start doing this all over the state," he said. "It's an opportunity to help people with proper horse care and be able to help people during hard economic times."

The OHWC website is www.oregonhorsewelfare

council.com

The Linn County Animal Rescue website is www.lcarhorse.com