On Stride Stables

02/06/2022

Did a little video this frigid day on how I do a straw stall. This is not a deep littered stall, I do these daily.

Everyone does their stalls a little differently, but I find that this allows me to expose the floors daily, essentially the stalls are stripped every day and new fresh bedding put in place.

Straw is a very renewable resource, less dusty than shavings, and we do not find that the horses eat it (although it's perfectly healthy for them to do so, if they choose to). Japanese studies have found that horses are more apt to lie down in straw stalls and get their necessary rest, and that horses "stuck in a stall" will spend significant amounts of time shuffling & sorting to get any seeds left over from the separation process.

We get wheat straw from a local farmer and we just love it.

11/05/2021

We are starting to offer K.I.S Trace minerals as our new ration balancer, and just look at this new hoof!

We will continue to offer Triple Crown Senior & Complete for those horses who need it, but our goal for happy healthy horses is as much forage as possible.

Feel free to ask for more information!

This is a horse that was on a popular hoof supplement that contains polysaccharides as the copper and zinc form.
This shows how the form of mineral used matters.

The new growth is from KIStrace and you can see the improved growth at the point of change from poly to amino acid complex.

Zinpro is the ONLY!!! company that produces these specific amino acid complex's. KISTrace uses Zinpro.

What you are seeing is improved lamina connection plus improved quality of horn. It is also evident that the body is happy thru the smooth growth of the wall.

Consider this when you choose your supplement for your equines

08/27/2021

International Helmet Awareness day is coming up on September 16th and 17th and it’s a great time to:

- Check that your helmet is not past it’s expiration date (5 years from first wear if there have been no falls)

- Examine to make sure your helmet fits well and that all straps work as designed

- Be sure no critters have stored rice or other goodies in the lining (ask me for details)

- Shop for a new one if yours needs to be replaced - most retailers will have great discounts during that time!

You don’t have to have a fancy helmet, but check out helmets with MIPS, which offer added protection from the types of falls that riders take.

You only get one brain, and almost half of equestrians experience one or more concussions during their riding lifetime!

45.2% of all traumatic brain injuries experienced by adults happen to equestrians, dwarfing other causes! That’s a huge and crazy statistic!

So protect that noggin! Get a new helmet!

08/12/2021

We believe in a few things here at Oakes Brae that come from evidence-based equine studies. We thought it was worth a few moments to talk about since not everyone is familiar with some of the concepts!

1. We believe in forage (free choice)
That means your horse, whether they are outside or inside, has hay in front of them at all times.

Horses evolved to eat a lot of stemmy food constantly, not large meals all at once (like a predator). In the stall, your horse has a slow feed hay bag to allow them to have constant access. Outside, hay is fed every few hours to ensure that there is enough and that they know that it will never run out.

While we will supplement with hard feeds if your horse needs them to maintain their weight, we will also use beet pulp and soaked hay cubes in order to have the bulk of the horse's feed be forage.

We find that most horses, once at an appropriate weight and if there are no illnesses or infirmities, stay plenty fat and healthy on free choice forage plus a ration balancer.

2. We believe in freedom of movement.
As much as possible, weather permitting, the horses are outside. We are in the process of enlarging the stalls to 10.5x21 in order to facilitate movement when inside, and they have shelter from trees so that they can stay out as much as possible.

In addition, we are in the process of building a paddock-paradise style track to enable them to move more. More on this soon as we evolve and build!

3. We believe in friends.
Horses are social creatures. In the wild they live in mixed herds of all ages and require contact with other animals to be happy.

We introduce horses slowly, into a mixed herd. In addition, horses can see and smell each other through the stalls, as well as hanging their heads out to interact with others. This is key for their happiness. If a horse truly cannot live with other horses for reasons of age/infirmity, they are separated but kept near the others so that they feel a part of the herd.

4. We believe in freedom from discomfort & pain
Everything about our barn and our care is based on freedom from discomfort and pain. We bed on straw, which has been proven to enable the horses to sleep more easiliy and more deeply. In addition, the horses can filter through and look for missed-seed-heads which provides stimulation so they aren't simply staring at the walls.

The horses at Oakes Brae are required to stay on a regular farrier & vet schedule, and fecals are done twice per year to be sure that we are on top of worm populations. In addition, fly control in the barn and around the property helps to keep them comfortable.

In addition we contract with qualified equine professionals like chiropractors, nutritionists, saddle fitters, and many more types to ensure that our horses have the best care.

We ask a lot of our equine partners and they deserve our best.

5. We believe in freedom from injury (to the degree possible - we all know horses)
We inspect buildings and fencing to ensure that our horses stay safe. Though our facility is older, we make continual improvements to ensure that nails aren't available to snag, and fences don't catch.

Though horses do manage to find ways of injuring themselves (usually in scuffles with other horses), we ensure prompt treatment when discovered, and check the horses at least 4 times per day as well as the owner and caretaker both living on property to keep an eye on things.

6. We believe in Fun!
People used to believe that horses were not interested in fun, but recent studies showed that horses are just like other creatures in their senses of curiosity and joy, and often have a hilarious sense of humor.

Species-specific enrichment activities such as sticks, balls, trees, treat hangers, scratching posts etc. are key for the happiness of horses. We are in the process of building these into our paddock paradise for greater enrichment in the hours you're not spending with them.

We also believe in fun for our humans, and seek to educate and enjoy time spent with these wonderful critters. Our ring is large (230'x110') and we're in the process of making the footing better and creating loads of fun obstacles for you and your horse to tackle, no matter what level of rider or non-rider you are.

Our goal is to facilitate happy, healthy, safe, and well-educated equine activities for horses and riders.

Boarding here is limited and there is a waiting list, so if you are interested please let us know. If you are interested in learning more about our approach, we're happy to speak about it at any time.

References:
Paddock Paradise - https://paddockparadise.net
Straw Bedding for Health - https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/straw-bedding-for-health
Free choice hay - https://www.equisearch.com/discoverhorses/feeding-horses-hay-free-choice
Wild horse herds -https://www.nps.gov/calo/learn/nature/upload/2006-Observing-Wild-Horse-Behavior.pdf
Domestic Equine Herds - https://horsesport.com/magazine/behaviour/herd-dynamics-keeping-the-peace/

Horses living in a natural social herd form intraspecific social hierarchies that serve to minimize aggression rather than exacerbate it.

08/09/2021

What does a horse see?

This simulation helps you understand your horse's vision much better...now we know why they see tigers everywhere :D

Ever wonder how a horse perceives its environment? From night vision to color awareness, this simulated video lets the rider take a horse-eye view.

07/29/2021

If you come out today and wonder why the horses are in, they were out last night and came in because the heat and humidity are wayyyy too high today. We'll most likely stick with some night time turnout for awhile until the temps get better.

They were a little confused last night, but today are grateful to be in the barn under their fans!

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music EntertainmentHot Hot Hot (Radio Edit) · Buster Poindexter and His Banshees Of BlueDance Vault Remixes - Hot Hot Hot℗ 1987 B...

07/20/2021

Our partners deserve care, that's the least we can do. From proper nutrition, veterinary care & farriery to tack care, fitting, and cleaning - these aren't just things for "fancy horses".

I woke in the night with a persistent pain in my side. Whatever it was, it had been bothering me enough to disturb my beauty slumber! On closer inspection, it was the tiniest bump of an overlap on the elastic waist of my jammies.

From now on, you may call me Princess... but enough about me.

Point is, if a thing this little causes a painful spot over time, we must be ever mindful of the gear we use on our horses. It doesn’t take much to make a pressure point.

Saddle pads and blankets get crusty if our horses exert enough to get sweaty; they also have a knack for picking up random burrs and splinters. We need to check ‘em every single time we ride. Even my heavy felt pads and wool blankets get taken every so often to the car wash. My friend had to remind me, last time we rode together, that mine were in need of a cleaning. No soap is needed but just a thorough blasting of water, before they go out on the lawn to dry.

I find that those of us who ride Western can be most at fault here, as our pads and blankets can't be thrown easily into the washing machine. Those of us who ride English really have no such excuse, if we're not keeping our pads clean between rides.

Bridles and breast collars need the same care. Breast collars, especially, will get sharp and brittle with sweat if we're not paying attention. Clean them with warm water and a sponge or brush, then feel the stitched turnovers for raised spots. Once damp, these will sometimes benefit from pounding flat with a hammer. Condition the entire bridle to softness, making sure all straps have snug and working keepers to tuck into...

Then, settle into the saddle, knowing you’ve taken the time to make things right.

You know, we’ll argue with our horses before we’ll make the effort to find out why they’re uncomfortable. Let’s all of us vow to do a little better about that.

***

By the way, take a look at this entire album of tack tricks for more proven handy hints to use on our gear.

06/28/2021

Some info for our boarders - all of the horses were out today but the pop-up thunderstorm made the afternoon crew come in a bit sooner than normal. We'll give them some extra hours tomorrow.

Our policy is to turn out if they aren't calling for rain or if the rain will be light. We don't melt in the rain and neither do horses :) If there will be storms or buckets of rain though (like today) we will bring them in as we don't have run-in sheds for them to take shelter in.

But for now, they are all safely tucked away in their stalls, munching on some hay, standing in front of the stall fans. I...however...resemble this llama. :D

06/26/2021

And in this humidity…

06/19/2021

Did you know, in this hot weather, horses need a LOT of salt and a lot of water. A salt block does not provide the required amount of salt for a horse, and to keep them healthy and hydrated, adding measured loose salt to their feed is the best way to keep them healthy.