I’ve been on the search for a new (to me) horse trailer for years. Growing up, I’ve gone from having a four-horse bumper-pull livestock trailer to a five-horse aluminum gooseneck trailer. We’ve hauled our trailers with vans, gas trucks, diesel trucks, and back to gas.

While I had my “dream trailer” in mind, I also knew what my budget could handle and what our honest needs were, which set me on the course of constantly perusing the trailer selling groups on Facebook and talking with many different contacts to learn what to buy and what not to buy.

I finally found a trailer that checked most of the boxes on my list. It’s an early 2000s Sooner two-horse straight-load bumper-pull trailer with a small dressing/tack room in the front. The 7’6″ height was more than I was looking for, but I also know that the resale value on this trailer is amazing, especially being a warmblood trailer. So what if my stocky Quarter Horses and chubby Miniature Horse are a little dwarfed when they’re inside? Plenty of head room!

I’ll share a little about what I did to make this trailer mine.

Cleaning the Back of a Horse Trailer

There’s not too much you can do to change up things in the back of the trailer where the horses are hauled. Within the first day, even though the previous owner had cleaned it out, I dragged out my pressure washer to clean the inside from top to bottom; you can never be too careful with biosecurity.

The butt and chest bar padding on the inside of the trailer was original—so it was stained, faded and not as soft as it once was. Did you know that you can replace these pads?

What I Did

I purchased replacement padding (without the pipe inside) from my local trailer shop for the chest and butt bars. These are generally affordable and easy to replace.

The protective pads on the sides of the trailer and dividers are a little more difficult and expensive to replace. These are also made from vinyl and foam, but they require screwing into the trailer sides. This isn’t something I’m looking to do right now, unless I decide to sell my trailer down the road, but I was happy to find that I could replace those pads if I wanted.

With a straight load, I have a decent size empty space in the front of the trailer, where you might see a grain manger. The previous owner installed 1-inch-thick plywood at the bottom of her horse divider and the front divider to use the second stall and front for more storage. I removed both dividers, but I may later reinstall the front just to protect anything from potentially falling or moving into the stalls and getting tangled in their legs. For now, the front will hold a bale of hay and cooler, two objects that won’t easily move on the rubber flooring.

Organize the Dressing/Tack Room

My wish list was to have a rear tack and front dressing room, but for my family’s needs right now, we are OK with the lack of rear tack. Two horses shouldn’t require that much equipment, and if you store things properly, you’re able to fit quite a bit in small spaces.

What Storage Exists There Already

My trailer has a saddle rack for two saddles, nicely spaced out for my western saddle and my daughter’s western saddle. It already had rubber-coated hooks for hanging bags, tack and equipment. There’s also a small area in the back where you can slide clothing hangers for show clothes—however, you must use thinner wire hangers, not plastic or wooden hangers.

What I Added

1.  I installed a couple of two-by-fours so I could hang a grooming caddy from the short wall by the door. One of the worst things you can have in a small space is clutter—not only is it an eyesore, but it can be unsafe if you’re trying to move around inside, and it’s easy to lose things.

I love the grooming caddy I’m using because it has so many pockets, including a mesh zipper pocket and clear plastic zippered pocket, and it can hang up in the trailer or at the stalls if we were to show out of stalls. It allows me to store my grooming and sport boots off the floor.

2. I purchased a white plastic shoe storage cabinet from IKEA; the two drawers stack on top of each other or next to each other, or you can use just one. I’m using it to store my mesh sheets, small spray bottles and sport boots. I love it because it’s thin, easy to keep clean, and can be moved around if needed. (I keep the cabinets in place with strong hook-and-loop fasteners.)

3. To keep the original flooring clean, plus add a little comfort, I purchased interlocking fitness flooring. The flooring is cheap ($5/square at Five Below) and easy to cut to fit into the corners. Plus, if something is spilled or I just need to replace a square, it’s easy and affordable!

4. Finally, make your trailer your own by outfitting it in matching travel gear. What’s more fun than accessorizing your saddle carrier, bridle bags and hay bags in a fun matching pattern? It’s the best way to protect your many investments, makes it easy for identification (I have one color and my daughter will have her own color), and they make your storage look neater.

Key Takeaway

With these DIY hacks, you can affordably organize and customize your horse trailer to optimize storage. This will make for easier trips to horse shows and other hauling adventures. Take photos of your DIY horse trailer projects and tag us in them on Instagram (@horseillustrated)!

This article about tips to organize and customize your horse trailer storage appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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But when images and videos appear in the media showing herds being rounded up via helicopter, emotions run high. These are called “gathers,” and they occur when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) brings herds of wild horses into a smaller area so they can implement their fertility control treatment plan, which can consist of a vaccination that essentially renders the mare’s heat cycles unproductive.

No Room to Expand

The big issue between passionate supporters of the wild horses and supporters of the BLM is what seems to be dwindling acreage making it difficult for the wild horses to find enough to eat and drink. However, according to the BLM, the acreage isn’t shrinking—the population is outgrowing the land they have.

The difficult position for the wild horses is that the size of their habitat has not grown with time. The 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act says that the BLM can only manage wild horses and burros where they are found when that act was passed. This means that the land inhabited by wild horses in 1971 is the same range they can inhabit 52 years later.

Jason Lutterman, public affairs specialist with the BLM, says that because of this act, the BLM is not able to move horses to areas where they were not originally found back in 1971, and the BLM can’t use government funds to purchase more land.

“There are some public lands where the horses can be found, but those are not federally protected,” says Lutterman. “We have a large diversity of situations that we manage with our wild horses and burros.”

Wild Horse Population Spike

Currently, the BLM manages wild horses and burros in 177 herd management areas that cover 26.9 million acres of public lands across 10 Western states. As of March 1, 2021, the BLM estimates there were approximately 71,735 wild horses and 14,454 wild burros on these lands. This is in addition to the 59,007 (as of December 1, 2021) wild horses and burros receiving care on BLM off-range facilities.

In recent years, the wild horse and burro population has experienced a rather significant population spike. This has prompted more action in regard to gathers and fertility control treatments. If there is no oversight by the BLM, the agency believes that the herds could have a 15-20 percent growth rate, and based on numerous studies, the population numbers are susceptible to doubling every four or five years.

“The population spike is mostly due to the fact that [the BLM] has not been removing as many wild horses or burros, or doing as much population control to help slow that growth,” says Lutterman. “However, if the BLM had not been doing any management at all, this growth rate would be much quicker, thus getting unmanageable.”

Wild Horse Fertility Population Control Methods

Because of the nature of a wild horse, the majority of any vaccination protocol is done much differently than your standard domestic horse’s health care. Fertility control is handled mostly in one of two different ways: darting or catch and release. The BLM explains that each method is chosen based on a local level, because no two herds are alike.

“Whether a herd can be darted depends on different factors,” explains Lutterman. “Some main factors being if there are enough trained volunteers or BLM staff available to do the darting, or if you can actually get close enough to the horses or burros to dart them.”

Lutterman says that the herds that are close to major populations, such as in Reno, Nev., are already used to seeing people, so volunteers can get a little close to dart them. More remote herds can be harder to find, attract and dart, so they must plan for catch and release.

Once a herd is gathered, the horses are herded into corrals, much like cattle on a ranch, where they are given their immunocontraceptive vaccination and marked with a freeze brand that states the year the horse was vaccinated and the type of vaccine. This way the BLM can follow up with the correct booster at the correct time.

The BLM has mainly been using one of two different fertility control methods: immunocontraceptive vaccination or implant. The choice as to which method is used on which mares follows a line of factors, including what has been the current method of treatment.

◆ Oocyte Growth Factor (OGF): An immunocontraceptive vaccine; the BLM is seeking a one-dose vaccine that can cause long-term infertility for multiple years.

◆ Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP): An immunocontraceptive vaccine that requires a booster 4-6 weeks after the initial inoculation and annual booster thereafter to maintain infertility.

◆ GonaCon: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antigen vaccine called GonaCon-Equine. It is injected first with a primer vaccination, then followed up with a booster 30 days after the primer. This particular vaccine can cause four to six years of infertility; however, research is very limited on this treatment.

◆ Intrauterine Device (IUD): Much like a human intrauterine device, the IUD that the BLM uses is a Y-shaped, silicone insert, but it’s specially designed for horses. An advantage to its use is that it provides effective contraception, so long as the IUD stays in the uterus. So far, it appears that it can work for several years. A disadvantage is that IUDs can interfere with an ongoing pregnancy, so they can only be used in non-pregnant mares. According to the BLM, more than 65 percent of wild mares are typically pregnant on any given day—and in some herds, the rate is over 90 percent—so the sheer number of mares that would be candidates for an IUD is a limitation.

The BLM works in partnerships with universities and the United States Geological Survey for research and development projects. The BLM has issued solicitations for research projects — including fertility control treatment — for the wild horses and burros in the past (most recently in 2021). Project proponents may submit unsolicited research proposals to BLM at any time, which are reviewed by a panel and recommended for approval based on funding and agency priorities.

Pros and Cons

The use of different immunocontraceptive vaccinations are controversial. As of press time, Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), says her group has given 5,185 PZP treatments to wild horses in the past three years.

“We use the PZP vaccine because it creates an immune response in mares that prevents fertilization, but it doesn’t mess with their hormonal balance,” she says. “The reason we advocate for it is because it’s reversible and it maintains the natural reproductive hormones that drive wild horse behavior.

“Think of it this way: With domestic horses, we geld the stallions because we want to impact that behavior, right?” Roy continues. “But in the wild, we want the horses to maintain as much of that natural behavior as possible.”

Both Lutterman and Roy say that the fertility control treatments have not shown to have any effect on the natural state of the herd or in the livelihood of the treated mare.

“The mares are still cycling,” says Roy. “So there is no change in their behavior, and there’s always some change every breeding season, but nothing like the mares being mistreated or shunned.”

However, Roy states that in one study that was done on a very small population on an island, it was found that treated mares had less fidelity to their bands, so they would leave and join other bands.

“But here’s the thing: Is that because of the vaccine? Or the absence of the foal?” she asks. “Because as most moms know, if you don’t have a baby, you have more flexibility. It was one small study, but we’re seeing so many horses, and we know these bands, and we don’t see anything out of the ordinary in terms of their behavior.”

Ultimately, population growth or decline results from birth rates, survival rates, and movements in and out of a population. Wild horses are the descendants of domestic horses, and they have remarkably high birth rates for an herbivore of their size.

A recent study out of Oregon by Grant and colleagues showed a remarkably high pregnancy rate, even among 2-year-old female wild horses, with some herds shown to have over 90 percent pregnancy rates. Survival rates also tend to be extremely high; it is not uncommon for wild mares to live into their 20s.

“One of the ironic effects of fertility control is that it tends to increase mare longevity,” says Lutterman. “So even in places where nearly every mare has been treated, it does not lead to as rapid of population size declines as one might expect, which is why the BLM must still gather and remove excess horses to reduce overpopulation.”

The Adoption Option for Wild Horse Population Control

As part of the population control, the BLM conducts gathers where wild horses are herded together and taken to an off-range facility. There, each horse is freeze-branded with an identifying brand, given regular vaccinations (much like domestic horses are), checked by a veterinarian, and prepared for a transition to the domestic life.

“We try to find homes for every animal that we bring off the range, but unfortunately that’s not always the case,” says Lutterman. “Those horses are transferred to off-range pastures, which are large pasture facilities where the horses are turned out and cared for.”

These off-range pastures are mostly located in the Midwest and Upper Great Plains (Oklahoma, Kansas, et cetera), where the land is generally more productive and horses can graze the grassland. The BLM has a subset of these types of facilities, called Public Off-Range Pastures, with a dual mission of providing long-term care for the animals while also being open to the public to show how the wild horses live on the pastures as an educational component.

What’s Ahead

The management of the wild horse herds may always be a controversial topic between animal welfare groups and the U.S. government. It’s important to note that both parties understand the importance of the animal, but also the fragility of the environment, the importance of history, and the welfare of the horse.

“It’s important to manage appropriately, because there may be too much control,” says Roy. “It depends on the population. In a population where you’re trying to stabilize the growth, one thing you do is let every mare contribute to the gene pool before treating them. Some programs will dart young horses for two years to keep them from foaling for their health, then let them foal, and then start treating them again. Then each horse has the ability to contribute to the gene pool.”

This article about population control of wild horses appeared in the May 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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When my daughter was 2 years old, she was playing at a friend’s farm that was home to a pony ride business. I’d started the search for her own pony, because I wanted something she could lead around the farm, brush and hang out with on her own without me worrying she’d be pushed around. We eventually met a Miniature Horse named Gru and fell in love with his personality, and a few days later, we would begin our journey of owning a Miniature Horse when he was led onto our farm and into our lives. Who knew such a little guy would create some big questions?

The Mini List

We learned some valuable lessons adjusting to the downsized life of owning a Miniature Horse, including some things I never would have imagined until I experienced it myself.

Stall Size: Our barn’s setup includes five 12-foot by 24-foot stalls. Three of them can be divided in half, with doors going to the outside and to the inside aisle. They’re perfect for cold Indiana winter days and nights when we need to keep the horses in and they need room to move around. But the stall we had available for Gru was one that is not able to be cut in half, thus giving him his own kingdom of a 12×24 stall.

Bucket Height: Within the first week, we had to adjust the height of the water bucket, and we knew immediately Gru wouldn’t be able to use the corner feeder, thus the need for a rubber feed tub on the ground.

Bucket Size: Which brings us to the size of the water bucket and feed tub. We use standard 5-gallon water buckets, and I’ve learned that Gru doesn’t drink the whole bucket, even on the hottest of days, yet we want to keep the water fresh. His rubber feed tub is rather big for the amount of grain he gets (that revelation later), but it also serves as the perfect spot for his mineral block.

Stall Fork Tines: You don’t think about how having a Miniature Horse changes the way you clean stalls … until you clean his stall with a standard fork. The size of the droppings from a Mini can make cleaning more difficult if you have a standard fork, due to the tines being too far apart. When we changed to a different type of stall fork with tines closer together, it made a huge difference in less droppings! (It also helps that my daughter has a smaller stall fork perfect for her size, and perfect for Gru’s turds.)

Horse Clothing: Miniature Horse/small pony-wear is tough to come by in our area, so a lot of times I’m ordering Gru’s fly mask online and hope that I don’t have to go through the return process. Finding the right-sized halter generally requires some rigging to shrink up around the crown and the jaw. And don’t get me started on finding a saddle that fits across his non-existent withers and wide barrel … hence why Aubrey has ridden him more bareback than in a saddle.

Dinner Portions: When it comes to feeding Gru, it’s crazy to me that he eats less grain at night than my dogs eat in kibble. We feed Gru half a cup of pellets when he comes in for the night, plus half a flake of hay. He gets the same type of hay our donkeys do (the high-quality alfalfa mix is saved for the “big girls”), and he splits a flake with one donkey.

Also, we’ve instituted use of a grazing muzzle for the first time in our family’s history of owning horses for fear of him gorging himself. However, we never know how well it works, because it’s a constant battle to figure out how to keep the muzzle on him throughout the day. Who knew a Mini could be such a Houdini?

Health Care: It’s important to note that not all farriers and veterinarians will work on Miniature Horses. We had to find a separate farrier that was willing to work with Gru and our three donkeys, and our veterinarian has to be quite limber to squat down while floating his teeth. Luckily, Gru has been pretty healthy and doesn’t need his feet trimmed as often as our full-sized horses, but it was still a difficult issue when we first owned him.

Big Hearts in Small Packages

The list can go on and on about how much we’ve had to change our mindset for downsizing, but one thing is for sure about Gru: While his stature is small, his heart is huge. He’s the happiest when he hears my daughter’s voice, gives hugs back when she wraps her arms around his (rather round) belly or neck, and is happy to just march around the barnyard with her on the other end of the lead shank.

While Aubrey has probably already outgrown his 34-inch body, he has a forever home and a place in Aubrey’s heart for a lifetime.

Learn More: A Guide to Miniature Horse Care
Learn More: Miniature Horse History
Learn More: Bringing Home a Miniature Horse
Learn More: 5 Fun Facts About Miniature Horses

This article about owning a Miniature Horse appeared in the September 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Downsizing Expectations: Lessons Learned from Owning a Miniature Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The round pen used to be a rider’s best friend when it came to dealing with a horse that was deemed naturally hyper or easily excitable. The longe line was a common tool in the trailer at every show, with the idea that cantering circles to exhaustion would get the horse ready to perform his best. But, as natural horsemanship trainer Colton Woods points out, a lot of that work can be done at home and on the ground without working both you and your horse to a lather.

These five steps can help you gain confidence in your horse, whether he’s easily stressed, high-strung or deemed naturally nervous.

1. Look at the Horse’s Health

Any time you have a horse that’s acting up, it’s important to work with your veterinarian to make sure that your nervous horse isn’t suffering from something causing him pain or discomfort. Woods is always looking to address the horse’s digestive system.

“A lot of times with anxious horses, that anxiety can lead to stomach ulcers, just like us,” he explains. “If we get really anxious, a lot of times our stomach doesn’t feel good. Horses will have that similar feeling.”

2. Refocus the Focus

“All horses will focus on something, especially an anxious or hyper horse,” says Woods. “Personally, I’d rather him focus on me. If I have a horse that has some pent-up energy, whether it’s from stress or hype, what that tells me is the horse’s mind is somewhere else. Mentally, he’s not present in the moment. But when we’re present, we’re focused.”

For example, Woods had a cutting-bred horse in his barn exhibiting high energy.

“I noticed that he needed to feel like he could go somewhere,” says Woods. “He wasn’t really present with me, but if I asked him to do something, he wanted to be quick about his response.”

Because Woods didn’t want to fight with the horse, he took just 10 minutes to let him do an exercise where he could use his natural urge for cutting—but he had to meet Woods’ request.

“That horse didn’t feel like I was telling him ‘no’ because I was directing that energy he had,” he says. “After a few minutes, he felt like he was good and had gotten it out of his system. Then, because I went with him instead of against him, he started to focus on me a lot more. Even when the doors of the barn rattled in the wind, he didn’t spook.”

3. Practice Being Present

If everything seems good health-wise, the next culprit to the horse’s behavior could be at the opposite end of the lead rope—ourselves. Woods recognizes that a lot of people struggle with a sensitive horse because they’re not present with their horse—they’re thinking about 72 other things that are going on in their lives.

A lot of times, whatever problem we have to work on with our horses starts with us. We need to make sure we’re present with our horses so they can be present with us.

The idea of “taking a deep breath” may sound cliché, but if you do that first, you’ll find that the horse will take a deep breath, too. Relax your shoulders, engage your core, relax your lower back (even if you’re standing on the ground), and just breathe. Try to feel the oxygen go through your body. Take that second to relax with your horse and let him do the same thing.

Woods suggests watching for these signs:

■ A twitching nose.
■ How he blinks: if he blinks with small, shutter-type blinks, or is barely blinking at all, that means he’s stressed. But if he’s taking big, heavy blinks and his eye is soft, it’s a sign that he’s relaxed.
■ Is he chewing or licking? That’s a sign that he’s relaxed.

4. Calculated Corrections

Sometimes a nervous horse spooks or overreacts to the point where we feel we must reprimand or correct him immediately. Woods cautions that if you go to reprimand your horse, take a second to think first. Are you doing it in an aggressive manner and out of emotion, as opposed to calculated?

“When we start making these emotion-based decisions, the horse goes into the fight or flight response a lot sooner,” says Woods.

“We don’t want him to go there because he can’t learn in that state of mind.”
Woods says this is where we must check ourselves first and evaluate if this is something we can get our horse over. Can you get your horse over this while in the saddle, or are you more comfortable correcting him on the ground? Do you need to enlist help from a professional or a friend?

5. No Easy Supplement

The previous four steps all take time and intent on your part. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix when it comes to dealing with a hyper or stressed horse. While there might be products lining the shelves claiming to calm your horse, Woods cautions that they could be too good to be true.

However, there are occasions when a medical condition could necessitate a prescription or recommendation from your vet. This allows everyone to stay safe and ensures that the horse has a good experience. “When it comes to working with your horse and needing to fix an issue, there are two variables; there are times to get things done, and times to educate your horse,” says Woods.

“But the real key is the preparation for what is going to be asked of your horse later.”

This article about how to calm a nervous horse appeared in the June 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Naturally Calm: How to Work with a Nervous Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Building your horse care dream team is a huge step. You’ve welcomed a new horse into your family, or decided to pull up roots and move to a new area—of course bringing your beloved equine with you. Now you need to build a horse care team that can work with you in giving your horse the high-quality care he deserves.

Where do you start?

Finding the Right Veterinarian

The horse world is a little different than the small-animal world in that there are not as many health care options for horses. In most towns, there are multiple small-animal clinics
and maybe one large-animal clinic, if you’re lucky. If you’re located in a remote rural area, it can be very difficult to find the right equine veterinarian.

“Location is definitely important,” says Tony Wolfe, DVM, owner and veterinarian at Wolfe Equine Services in Petersburg, Ky. He suggests asking fellow horse owners for their recommendations to learn about their experiences with not only routine horse care, but also emergency situations.

“Word of mouth is our largest referral center,” says Wolfe. “People are very honest; if they like the vet, they love them, and if they don’t, they’re very quick to tell you they don’t
and tell you the reasons why.”

Clinics can differ in what services they offer and how they schedule appointments. Wolfe Equine Services offers both haul-in appointments, where the owner can transport their
horse to the clinic, and appointments where the veterinarian comes to you. It’s important to ask what the farm call fee is, if that is an option.

Once you’ve chosen a suitable veterinarian for routine horse care, you may need to look a little deeper to be prepared for a situation where your horse needs a specialist.

“You’re going to find a huge variation with practices,” says Wolfe. “We are lucky because Lexington is only an hour away, so while we don’t offer surgical options, we can refer you to a place that does that’s not too far of a drive.”

After all the other considerations, you should make sure that you get along with your veterinarian. Wolfe says this is a very big thing for new clients to consider.

“If you don’t feel like you can approach your vet or call them, that will hinder the ability for proper treatment for your horse,” he says.

Veterinarians will tell you they don’t mind over-communication with a client, especially when it comes to the horse and his issues; what an owner might think is a minor problem might actually be a bigger issue. Your veterinarian should be proficient in communication — responding to text messages and voicemails.

“I’d rather a client tell me something their horse did and for me to be able to say, ‘That’s not a big deal,’ than to not know everything and have it turn into a much bigger issue,” says Wolfe. If a practice has multiple veterinarians, there may be various personalities, so try working with all of them in case one fits your horse-care style better than the others.

Finding the Right Barn

Location is a big factor in finding the right barn for keeping your horse. A long drive to the barn may keep you from going there daily (if that’s what you want) and shorten the quality time you can put into your horse’s care. Whatever you do, avoid the dreaded “Bermuda Triangle,” where work, home and the barn are all far apart from each other.

Jody Neill, owner of Camarillo Springs Ranch, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Calif., knows her location might not be the quickest drive thanks to the typical traffic pattern in Southern California. But she feels that her 1,000- acre ranch is an oasis for the 50 horses that live there and their owners to get away from it all.

“No matter what’s going on in your life, when you get to the barn, you want to drive through the gates, take a deep breath and relax,” says Neill. She and her husband have owned Camarillo Springs Ranch for 24 years.

After looking at location, Neill recommends that you choose a farm where you feel comfortable. Your horse will be living there, so you want to feel confident in the care your horse is receiving. Also, relationships are important to Neill and other barn owners.

“My ranch may be 1,000 acres, but as far as I’m concerned, this is my front yard,” she says. “If you’re not happy, you need to move along, so I’ll help find a place that fits you better.”

Consider your “musts” when choosing a boarding barn: Do you prefer to clean your own stall, bond with your horse and trail ride, or do you want a dedicated trainer to help you tune your horse up for his next show? Do you plan to feed daily, or is your schedule such that you can only come out on the weekends, which means you need full care for your horse?

Horse owners should feel comfortable discussing the following when searching for the right barn, according to Neill:

◆ What is the age range of owners that visit the barn?

◆ Does this barn have all of the facilities and amenities you find important?

◆ If you are trying to support your horse habit on a limited budget, does this barn fit into that budget?

◆ If you already have a relationship with a veterinarian or farrier, can they come to the barn, or does the barn owner have their own list of designated ones you can use?

Finding The Right Farrier

It might not seem too difficult to find a farrier in your area, but are you sure of their credentials?

Brandon Stubbs is a Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF) in the St. Louis, Mo., area. His business focuses solely on hunter/jumpers, but it has grown dramatically thanks to word of mouth and his certification with the American Farriers Association (AFA).

“The AFA has a search option on their website where you can find a list of farriers in your area that are either a Certified Farrier or a Certified Journeyman Farrier,” says Stubbs.

A certification means that the farrier is dedicated to continuing education and has passed evaluations of their skills. A CJF is the highest certification level.

“While it doesn’t necessarily mean that farrier isn’t a very good one because he doesn’t have a certification, it does help for owners to know if they need something specialized, this farrier stays up to date on all that pertains to the horse’s feet,” he says.

Neill makes sure she keeps a list of recommended farriers for her boarders who need a farrier as part of their horse care team.

“There are basically three types of farriers, so if a boarding barn is going to have a long-term relationship with a farrier, you need to make sure you have one that can do barefoot, one that can do basic shoes all the way around, and another that is more specialized,” she says.

Stubbs says it’s important for owners to ask potential farriers what disciplines they work on; not every farrier can cover every discipline. Farriers who specialize in certain disciplines understand the effort and needs for that particular event. For example, Stubbs is specialized in hunter/jumper horses, so if an owner asks if he can shoe her reiner, he turns them down, because he’s not the right farrier for that job.

The same goes for horses requiring therapeutic shoeing. In this case, you might want to consider the importance of finding a certified farrier recommended by your veterinarian.

Stubbs says your farrier should also be willing to openly communicate with you and educate you on your horse’s hoof needs. If there isn’t a comfort level between owner and farrier, it’ll make caring for your horse difficult and uncomfortable.

You Get What You Pay For

Every horse owner realizes that horses are an expensive habit and investment, so when a horse owner looks to trim the budget, our experts caution them to avoid cutting corners with the basic overall care of the horse. The most important variables include how personalities mesh, communication and location.

Many equine vets are happy to discuss costs with you before going ahead with a treatment plan, especially if you let them know up front that you’re on a tight budget. Some clinics will work out a payment plan if you can’t pay a big bill in one lump sum.

Neill says she interviews potential boarders over the phone before she brings them out to her ranch, because she wants to be straightforward on her charges from the very beginning.

“I think that any time someone is seeking out a service, it’s important that you understand the pricing associated beforehand, but I try to encourage owners to not keep that as the primary focus when it comes to caring for their horse,” says Stubbs.

Keep in mind that you are not only a part of your horse’s care team—you’re also the manager and your horse’s No. 1 advocate. Finding the right horse care team means that all the players can work together for the good of the horse when needed.

This article about how to build a horse care team appeared in the April 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Building Your Horse Care Dream Team appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Stress. It’s a word that seems synonymous with today’s culture. It’s almost like if you’re not stressed, you’re not breathing. Or is it just me? But how do us equestrians stress less?

As a working mom, trying to balance work, motherhood, caring for the farm and animals as well as ailing parents, those who know me best don’t have to ask. I’m stressed. But aren’t we lucky to be involved in horses, one of the best ways to manage and relieve stress?

Studies have shown that spending time grooming, handling and riding horses helps lower stress hormones.

Imagine taking a long trail ride on a Friday afternoon. You can inhale fresh air mixed with the scent of your favorite horse while exhaling all of the stagnant office air. You relax your tight back and shoulders with the rocking and rolling of your steed’s stride through the woods. You exorcise the office demons while currying loose hair and mud off your horse. And then there’s sweating out bad juju while stripping stalls and scrubbing buckets.

We all know the benefits as horse owners, but what about managing our stress away from the barn?

Take a Walk

Feeling uptight during the workday, but you can’t check out until 5 p.m.? Hit “Ctrl-S” and step away from the computer. Take five minutes to stretch your legs and go for a walk, whether it’s around the block or just within the halls of the building. Take this opportunity to do some shoulder rolls and neck stretches.

If you get away from the office, taking a minimum 10-minute walk can give you the same benefits as meditation because of the repetitive movements of your body’s large muscle groups.

Meditate on You

Life can lead us to a harried existence, which is why meditation has grown in popularity. Meditation, or mindfulness, helps you take a step away from the rush of daily life and turn down the volume in your mind.

Ronald Siegel, PsyD, is an associate clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School who has recently released some guided recordings for free online at www. mindfulness-solution.com.

There are also a host of apps, websites and videos online that offer guided meditation. Find your favorites and go to town any time you feel stress creeping in.

Supplement for Less Stress

Did you know that sometimes stress management can be done with the help of supplements and a glass of water?

Some of the more common supplements include:

◆ Omega-3 fatty acids: Higher doses of omega-3s (up to 2,000 mg) can help reduce anxiety symptoms, some as much as 20 percent.
◆ Vitamin B: The B-complex vitamins of B1, B3, B5, B6 and B12 have shown some of the biggest benefits in alleviating symptoms of anxiety. B1 balances blood sugar levels; B3 can help with anxiety if taken at 1,000–3,000 mg daily; B5 supports the adrenal glands, which can then reduce stress and anxiety levels; B6 can balance anxiety associated with PMS if combined with magnesium; and B9 and B12 can help to balance depressive moods.
◆ Valerian: Popular as a sleep aid, valerian root has antidepressant and anxiety-reducing effects.

Volunteer for Happiness

It can be hard to understand why we get so easily stressed, but one of the best ways for equestrians to relax and stress less is by volunteering or helping others.

Volunteer to do something good—whether it be at your child’s school, local soup kitchen, local humane society or even helping neighbors who need an extra hand. And by doing so, you can reconnect with your community. Giving of yourself can lighten your mood and lift your spirits by doing good and through the social support that comes from volunteering.

Take Control of Your Time

Always be aware of the time constraints that you might run into with adding volunteering into what might already be an overflowing schedule. If a lack of time contributes to your stress, then learn to say “no.”

Take extra time at the beginning of your week to first schedule in things that must be done, then schedule in the things that you would like to do. Put emphasis on interests that you enjoy—be it working out, spending time in the barn, hiking trips or even just coffee with friends. Actually scheduling time to relax will make it more of a priority for you, just like doctor’s appointments, board meetings and deadlines.

Ask for Help

As equestrians, if none of these, or other, tips help us to stress less, we should not hesitate to ask for help. Confide in someone close to you, ask for help with daily projects or chores and perhaps seek treatment with a mental health professional. A professional can provide feedback and techniques that can help you manage your specific stressors and help you live a more peaceful life.

And always, always know that there’s a fuzzy neck in a barn somewhere ready to help absorb some of that stress for an easy payment of peppermints and a good brushing.

This article about how equestrians can stress less appeared in the February 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Most little boys grow up playing cowboys, especially when they grow up on a ranch. So, when actor Booboo Stewart was offered the role of a native loner in the newest Neo-Western thriller movie, Let Him Go, it was a full-circle moment.

You may have seen Stewart battling mythological creatures as part of the Twilight saga and X-Men: Days of Future Past. In Let Him Go, Stewart plays Peter Dragswolf, a lone young man who is a survivor of the Indian Residential Schools, a real program established in the United States with the aim to assimilate Native American children into American culture. The main characters, George and Margaret Blackledge, played by Academy Award winners Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, are out to find their only grandchild and widowed daughter-in-law and rescue them both from a dangerous family living off-grid in the Dakotas. Stewart’s character befriends the Blackledges, even though he’s wary of companionship.

“(Peter’s) past is one of extreme hardships,” explains Stewart. “Because of all he’s been through, he’s excluded himself and lives on the outskirts of town.”

Stewart did a lot of research into the residential schools, which were active from the late 1800s to the 1980s in order to get in touch with his character and to understand his isolated lifestyle. Working alongside horses wasn’t much of a stretch for the actor, thanks to a childhood spent on his family’s ranch.

The 26-year-old actor was born Nils Allen Stewart, Jr., in California. His dad, Nils Allen Stewart, Sr., is a professional stuntman, and his younger sister, Trent Heaven “Fivel”, is also an actress. Stewart teamed up with Fivel and another sister, Maegan, to form the Disney hip-hop/pop group TSC (The Stewart Clan). The family, along with mom Renee, spends a lot of time together on the ranch still.

“It’s such a blessing to have grown up playing in the dirt…” he says. “Having the ranch to get away from the city life makes a great balance.”

One particular horse has a special place in Booboo’s heart. “His name is RimRock,” says Stewart. “He’s definitely one of the sweetest horses.”

Stewart continues to talk about how the Paint gelding is a truly gentle horse, sharing the pair’s special connection. “He has taught me so much about patience and how to communicate without words.”

Stewart was honing his horsemanship he used for the movie Let Him Go for years, growing up on horseback when he wasn’t in the studio. “I definitely showed the most horsemanship in this film than I have before,” says Stewart. “But I feel like I have so much more to show. I’d love to have the opportunity to ride throughout an entire film and do a military or Western film.”

The experience of working alongside a pair of screenplay legends like Costner and Lane can make any young actor’s knees shake. “I definitely had a lot of nerves going into the shoot,” Stewart admits. “They are such legends.”

Stewart took the opportunity of working with the pair to soak up as much knowledge and experience he could, spending time between movie shoots for Let Him Go getting to know Costner and watching the cast perform when he wasn’t on camera.

“Costner is amazing,” says Stewart. “He’s so kind, extremely generous and listens to everyone. He’s someone I really admire.”

Stewart is already back on set working on more projects, but he appreciates having the family ranch to find refuge when the hours are long. “Getting out on the trail is like pressing a reset button—it’s just so relaxing,” he says.

When asked if he had a dream horse he’d love to own, Stewart laughs and shows his devotion to RimRock. “I really love my guy,” he says. “I’d feel bad talking about another horse behind his back.”

 

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Jen Robertson has been riding horses all her life. A well-versed equestrienne from riding Arabians and Quarter Horses to now competing and training in hunter/jumpers, she can barely recall a day without riding. She and her husband, Brody Robertson, manage their farm, Altamonte Show Stable, in Ocala, Fla. Brody is an accomplished third generation Grand Prix rider and jump designer in his own respect.

For the Robertsons, wearing a helmet is as natural as slipping on breeches and a pair of boots. It’s something that just happens, and they’ve passed that along to their two sons, Saer and Flynn.

Jen credits helmets to saving her life on more than one occasion. Most recently, she was showing a young jumper as his first rated show at Lamplight in Elgin, Ill. “He had jumped great all week,” she recalls. “We were going into his last class of the show.”

The young horse had bulged out toward the out gate as he came around a corner. Jen tried to straighten the horse up as they approached the next jump. “I don’t think he was able to read it correctly,” she explains. “The white jump rail blended into the white fencing behind it, so he misjudged the top pole.”

Jen remembers taking off for the jump, then hitting the dirt head first. “I remember seeing my horse’s ears upside down in the sand with me,” she says.

Jen says that because of the centrifugal force and landing head first, she can’t imagine where she would be if she hadn’t worn her helmet. “I walked away from what could have been a devastating accident,” she says.

“I made the decision to wear a helmet every ride after I became a mother, because I want my children to see me wear one and it be normal to them,” Jen says. “It’s simple: You ride, you wear a helmet. The boys are horrified when they see cowboys or riders without helmets, and really it seems insane to me as well not to have one on.”

Her story is not unlike any other riders all across the country. It’s because of that that Riders4Helmets is proud to offer International Helmet Awareness Day (IHAD) once again, taking place September 12-13, 2020. The goal of IHAD is to educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing a properly fitted and secured, certified helmet. Many helmet manufacturers and tack stores from across the globe are participating with deals on new helmets and increased education on fitting and buying helmets.

For Jen and her family, the IHAD campaign is a good time to remind their fellow equestrians to check their helmet ages and look into purchasing a new helmet to finish out the show season, no matter your riding level.

“Most upper level riders have as many freak accidents at the walk as they do in competition,” she points out. “With the immense research done on TBIs leading to dementia, severe depression and Alzheimer’s, there really is no reason to ever take the chance by riding without a helmet. As much as we love them, horses are extremely unpredictable!”

For more information on International Helmet Awareness Day or Riders4Helmets, see www.riders4helmets.com, and follow them on social media.

Further Reading on Importance of Riding Helmets

• U.S. Equestrian Announces Launch of USEF Helmet Research Safety Fund
• How to Correctly Fit an Equestrian Helmet
• Helmet Replacement Strategy
• Helmet Credited with Saving Young Equestrian’s Life

The post Importance of Wearing a Horse Riding Helmet So You Can Walk Away appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

But the care for animals still goes on. For most states, the agriculture economy is still running as close to normal as possible, because they are essential business when it comes to the care for animals. However, roles are changed for those that work at the barn, and visits from horse crazy kids are very limited.

Currently, boarding barns across the country are dealing with a “new normal” that includes taking what’s supposed to be a social safe place to one of stricter biosecurity protocols and isolation.

“At the beginning, we followed the suggested restrictions of social distancing and washing your hands, but the barn was still open,” recalls boarding and breeding farm owner June Hillman. “To me, I started to feel it was socially irresponsible as things started to heat up in the community and the country, because I’d see so many people hang out at the barn, and I felt like this wasn’t going to work.”

Hillman then immediately closed down her West Chester, Pa., farm to everyone except for her family and barn workers. “When this started, it seemed like it would only be two weeks, but now you wonder how you adapt to the length of time things have to be shut down,” admits Hillman.

Now, Hillman is looking at how she can invite horse owners back into the barn, while still practicing responsible social distancing and biosecurity. She’s looking at adapting a plan much like Kalamazoo, Mich., barn owner Tara East has implemented for Eastfork Farm, which includes time slots where a single person can come to the barn for an hour or two at a time.

“Because we have a school program, the kids still have to care for their horses,” explains East. “So, we communicate with owners for their time block so they can come in, care for their horse, clean up after themselves and then leave before someone else can come in.”

Both boarding barns are now seeing less traffic in and out of their facilities amid COVID-19, with only essential veterinarian and farrier visits. Lessons and classes have been cancelled, which means less work for Hillman and East, however, they’ve seen an uptick in how much they are cleaning around the barn and their time spent on social media and communicating with horse owners just to keep them informed of how the horses are doing.

“There’s that added stress of feeling like you’ve taken people away from your horses, though,” admits Hillman. “And while it’s really the governor enforcing the stay-at-home order, so it’s really his fault, they blame you for that.”

The horses are still getting their routine care. Hillman explains that as long as the horses are kept on the schedule they’ve come to expect (e.g., feeding and turnout times), they’re happy. “I’m not even riding my horses right now, but I’m spending more time maybe grooming boarders’ horses,” she says.

Barn Life After Quarantine?

Just as uncertain as everyone is with current circumstances, Hillman and East both see a lot of uncertainty in their near and distant future. Furloughs and business closings wreak havoc on families’ finances and extra-curricular activities start to be eliminated.

“I’m a little worried as to what is going to happen if people aren’t able to afford their horses,” says Hillman.

Typical barn events such as summer camp and lessons may look a little different once the COVID-19 pandemic has ceased. Eastfork Farm is already starting to look at flexible alternatives for their customers and their monetary flow.

“We’re starting to look at how this will affect things we normally do,” says East. “We do summer camp, and since there will be a big lag for people and their finances, that will obviously affect how they spend their money for activities. That is, if we even have summer.”

Hillman and East are both formulating a plan for other opportunities for their horse owners and their business, be it lessons only once a month or a shift in expectations. “We’re trying to formulate plans so we can hit the ground running when everything is lifted and still have things available to people even if they’re strapped for money because of all of this,” says East.

But even with the best-laid plans with businesses such as a boarding barn, the situation is ever-changing, and the equine industry—and the entire world—awaits what will happen next in the historic COVID-19 pandemic.

Complete COVID-19 Coverage

The post Maintaining a Boarding Barn Business Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Barrel Racing Exercise #1:

4-Barrel Exercise

Set up four barrels in the shape of a square. You can run either direction, but we’ll start by going to the left barrel first, turning that to your left and going to the top right barrel, turning right.

Once you complete that turn, go straight across to the top left barrel and turn to the right. Jog down to the bottom right barrel and make a left turn and cross your start line.

Essentially, you will turn left, right, right, left. Or, if you start on the right side, it’ll be right, left, left, right.

Start slowly and then, as you get comfortable, you can increase your speed.

Barrel Racing Exercise #2:

6-Barrel Exercise

Set up six barrels in a “V” shape, with the wider end being the start.

Starting on the right side, turn the three barrels on your right to the right, then go across and turn the left side barrels to your left (right, right, right, left, left, left).

If you start on the left side, you will turn left three times, and then right three times.

Work this pattern at a walk, trot or canter, but remember to start slow and only speed up to where you can still have control and keep the rounded shape.

About the Expert:

Kelly Murphy-Alley is a professional barrel racer and trainer based in Wilmore, Ky. She owns Striking KMA Performance Horses.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2019 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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