Tantivy Farms

05/25/2026

05/08/2026

Most vaccinations for horses are for viruses, and veterinary immunologists have proven scientifically that, once vaccinated for a virus, resulting immunity lasts a very long time, perhaps a lifetime.” Dr. Falconer explained that repeated vaccinations not only confuse the immune system but often cause it to turn on itself and even attack healthy red blood cells.

The horse is the most over-vaccinated animal, even more than dogs and cats, and repeated vaccinations do more damage than any other management practice. Repeated vaccination causes a plethora of ill effects that people fail to connect to the vaccine, including allergies, skin conditions, thrush and even changes in temperament. These are long-lasting effects that take their toll. If people would just have one awakening in their journey to have a vital, thriving animal, I wish it could be that they would understand, we now know, all vaccinations for viruses last a very long time, and repeated vaccinations to an already immune horse adds nothing, but it does compound the ill effects. In the late 1970s, vaccine researcher Dr. Ronald Schultz discovered that rabies and the core vaccines last for the life of the animal in nearly all cases.

03/14/2026

Love seeing the grass coming up in the spring. Horses are enjoying it.

09/24/2025

We need rain!!! Out on an adventure with Crawford to see the horses!!

08/06/2025

On an adventure today with Crawford to go see all the horses and donkey. Finally has quit raining I think.

07/04/2025

Happy 4th of July, Independence Day! Freedom!

04/19/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AYycfCWnz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/10/2025

🩷 Let Them Have a Horse...

Let them have a horse, let them ride,
Let them learn with dirt stained pride.
Give them reins and room to grow,
Show them truths only horses know.

Let them feel the morning chill,
Boots in stirrups, heart be still.
Let them fight for what they earn,
Through every fall, let them return.

Let them brush and braid and mend,
Make the barn their second home.
Let them whisper, laugh, and cry,
Beneath the endless, open sky.

Let them know the work is tough,
That love alone is only one part.
That feed needs hauling, stalls need cleaned...
That dreams are earned by hands that work.

Let them feel the wind in their hair,
And the freedom only horses share.
For horses teach what words cannot...
Strength, respect, and all they’ve got.

So when they ask, don’t think twice,
The price is high, but so’s the gain.
Because without a horse, they’ll never know, the kind of love that helps them grow.

Copied ❤️ Michelle Knutson

01/04/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY!

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee