SS Bar Performance Horses

20/02/2024

Is there a drill for _____ ?
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Why does everyone want a drill to try an fix the issue?
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Most issues in the barrel race you can fix with dry work.
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The rest of the issue is YOU!
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The way to fix you is riding with intent.
It’s holding yourself accountable.
It’s making changes, using common sense and critical thinking.
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It’s learning to have control of your mind and body. A good part of it is learning to control your emotions.
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It’s ass in saddle time.

www.betweenthereins.us

📸: Bee Silva Photography

01/02/2024

So very important when they are foals for those strong tendons

It is very important for foals to have the ability to run and play in the pasture as they mature. Horses that are allowed to exercise freely as young maturing horses tend to develop potentially stronger tendons and ligaments.

Read more → bhnmag.co/2RAFefb

21/12/2023

29/11/2023

It is a must have now in my horse’s feed. Love it in the winter mixed in with their pellets. !

Bonus very affordable, always ensure you soak it well.

Are you worried about feeding beet pulp to your horse because you heard it may expand in the horse's stomach and cause colic?

No need to fear. Beet pulp's excellent digestibility actually makes it a useful addition to the diet of many types of horses — especially "hard keepers" that need to gain weight, horses with dental problems, convalescing horses, and geriatric horses who have trouble chewing or digesting other types of forage. Because beet pulp is really a fiber supplement, not a grain, you can safely feed as much as you like; just be sure to start with a small quantity and GRADUALLY INCREASE the amount you’re feeding.

Read more about feeding beet pulp on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/feeding-beet-pulp. As always, consult your veterinarian for more information and to determine if beet pulp is a good choice for your horse!

13/11/2023

I never had a bad ride with stormy yet, she’s been rode 4 times over the span of 12 weeks and I had a little clarity insight hit me today as not many people would be out riding a young two year old, checking cows with only 4 rides underneath them unless they’re an old school buckaroo… then maybe... anyways…

Here’s my clarity from today’s ride ”set them up for success”. Before I started riding Stormy I would pony her off my broke mare, Sonador, saddled in this field, so I knew today when I said let’s go over here to this field I knew she knew her surroundings. Before I asked her to bush wack through the trees today, I had her follow my mare in and out of the tree lines all summer long, so she learned how to pick up her feet over fallen trees. I made do everything on her own, before I got on her back. So on, and so forth.

I am also a firm believer of getting them out of the round pen or arena sooner than later, I hate spending 30 days in an area, I hate spending 10 rides in the round pen. I’m a firm believer of if the cows get out, and I can’t catch the broke horse or their injured that day, I’m grabbing the young horse. Work has to be done and I feel that this day of age that mentally has gone with quads, and side by sides, etc but some of us still depend on horses. It’s better to do it right now then to train them through it when a job has to get done and everything is a hot mess.

Foundation is key when starting young colts, find yourself a mentor or two and learn. Trust yourself and your training because if you keep not pushing yourself your never gonna learn and grow. Most importantly trust your horse and set them up for success.

Happy riding to everyone♥️

15/10/2023

I wish I could put into words how hard these horses try for us. How truly incredible it is to have a horse lay a run down, and how much, as a rider, we expect from them.

Many people have shared my quote: “I can’t out train pain.”

I want to dive into something I see all the time. Sometimes it’s hard to decide if a horse is being a jerk or if something is truly bothering them. I used to be like you, I used to hate getting my horses worked on, I used to be hard on them for their bad attitudes, I used to accept when a vet told me my horse was sound, even though in my heart, I felt something was off.

Hundreds of horses later, I don’t hesitate.

I work with a vet that listens to what I feel too.

You’d be amazed, how many horses trot sound for your vet, but don’t stay committed in a turn, get stiff, bounce, take their face back, can’t hold a lead in a turn, switch leads leaving second and back at third, duck barrels, refuse the alley, blow out of turns, and so many other things that only YOU feel. Don’t second guess yourself, because YOU know your horse best.

I get so many horses with issues, give them a work over, fix all the small issues that are adding up to a big thing, (death by a thousand papercuts) and rock on! People are amazed when I find another winner,but any horse will try when they feel 100%.

Remember, your horse doesn’t wake up everyday and think of ways to p**s you off.

Give them a chance. Listen to your horse. Don’t be scared of a second opinion.

08/10/2023

It’s been a hot minute for me this summer, so let me catch everyone up.

I spent more time in my roping saddle then my barrel saddle.
I worked cattle more this summer then I been on the road to run barrels.
Sonador and I still made a few trips out to the barrel pen and brought home a win this season and a good chunk of payout. I’ll post the videos later.
Stormy grew and she’s now been ridden twice so far and is a star pupil.
Si is back under saddle, with flat work and the odd trip to work cattle of course he’s was there for Stormy’s first ride.
Dad picked up two new horses, Checkers and 10-4 for his ranching, 10-4 being a full brother to Dakota - the gelding I rode in college earlier this year - I’m very excited for him.
Duke found out that he loves to go swimming in the lake so of course we made sure he got as much swim time as he wanted.

04/10/2023

30/08/2023

1

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 (𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞) 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

This knowledge is a game changer in the horse training business and for those in all the competition sports, and a valuable guide for horse owners looking to find the perfect horse for their lifestyle and riding pleasure. Geneticists in three countries have provided the first scientific evidence of the inheritance of hair whorls, links to behavior, and specific genes linked to certain hair whorl patterns. There's no scientific evidence more definitive than genetic evidence. Dr. Temple Grandin and I at Colorado State University waited 28 eight years since we published the first scientific evidence of the link from hair whorls to behavior for the genetic evidence we always knew would come. We never claimed to discover the relationship between hair whorls and behavior; people worldwide for thousands of years have casually observed the relationship. What we did that was new was show the link to lateralization of the nervous system and the hair whorls association with functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. I studied and documented the relationship for ten years before meeting Temple Grandin, working as a farrier and horse trainer. I learned the practical application of this knowledge in real-world situations before seeking and finding the academic support needed to make this useful information available to everyone.

This post aims to clarify and unify common terminology and principles of hair whorl height and position, either left, right, or center. For future posting on this page, this information is essential for you. The most important language to clarify relates to the side preference exhibited by horses and its relation to horse welfare concerns. The terminology in the horse industry, as is in the scientific language, is broad and varies between people in the US and other countries. The formal scientific term for this phenomenon is lateralization of the nervous system. Some scientists use a less formal term, 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚. 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 is the general term used to describe the phenomenon across species that includes human handedness, paw preference in dogs, footedness in birds, and side preference in cattle, horses, and other herbivores. In my writing, I interchange the terms laterality, handedness, and side preference depending on sentence context, but they all mean the same thing.

I drew this graph on this horse because this horse represents a large proportion of horses and the hair whorl type that suffers from the most severe welfare concerns. It has a single whorl, is left of center, and is very.

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

"Very Low" defines a non-reactive horse with low fear. "Low" whorls represent a horse as slightly more reactive than the "very low." "Very Lows" and "Lows" show minimal side preferences, and the hair whorls are usually in the center of the midline. The V-lines on the graph represent how, as the whorl gets higher, the side preference increases.

𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇

Most horses are in the Middle and High Range. The reactivity and fearfulness are in the mid-range, with some variation. Reactivity is higher in the top portion of the High range and lower reactivity in the lower middle range. The V-shape on the graph represents side preferences. The higher the whorl on the forehead, the stronger their side preference.

𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇

A smaller portion of horses are in the "High" and "Very" High range. Both high and very high define highly reactive and fearful horses. Side preference is highest in these two ranges, and the distance left or right from the midline also increases the side preference strength. This horse represents very high nervous system reactivity and laterality but not extreme laterality (side preference). A hair whorl closer to V-line would be an example of extreme laterality.

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

The epicenter defines the position of the whorl. This horse has a very high whorl slightly off to the horse's left side. This horse is highly reactive. The side preference is strong but not the strongest., and its natural fearfulness is very strong.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘

Approximately 70% of horses have a left side whorl in the medium to high ranges. 10% to 15% have hair whorls on the right side. Approximately 10% have two side-by-side whorls, always in mid-to-high ranges, never low. The double side-by-side whorls we considered normal in our research.The doubles, either side by side or one above the other, are harder to define and require a separate post to clarify.

The remaining 5% have multiple or two whorls, one above the other. In our research, we considered these types of whorls abnormal.

The horse in this picture will favor the right lead and travel better in a circle to the right or clockwise. The left whorl and right turning preferences are similar to most right-handed people. The right side whorl is opposite, like left-handed people. The horse with a high right side whorl favors the left lead.

This horse's left eye is the "look out for danger" eye in horse's with a left side whorl, and prefers the right lead. The side of the whorl is the side the horse will give a farrier the hardest time. The opposite holds for the horse with a right side whorl.This horse's right eye is the "look out for danger" eye in horse's with a right side whorl, and this horse prefers the left lead.

The high reactivity(fearfulness) and the laterality (side preference) of the horse in the photograph and a horse with the opposite on the right side are the types of horses I encountered most while working as a farrier and horse trainer. The horses with the high right and left hair whorls show the most potential as high-performance horses, but they also represent the horses with the most severe welfare concerns. Unfortunately, when they have behavior problems, they are the most dangerous and unpredictable. It all depends on how they are raised and handled. Any clarifying questions are welcome.

27/08/2023

Thisssss !!!!

The Breeders Challenge ♥️

19/08/2023

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ′′healing′′ that occurs when we're close to horses.
According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body.
While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent′′ heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can feel better when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace.
In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy.

30/07/2023

Such an a great read with key points for horses!

I’m very picky that all throughout winter my horses are on 24/7 hay and even when traveling to a jackpot or even to the vet I try always to have a hay net in the trailer or you’ll find a slow bag feeder tied to a hook as I’m grooming and saddling for a jackpot.

For all of my friends that own, train, or care for horses. This is a MUST READ...

What is the longest a horse can safely go without food?
Answer from a veterinarian-
More and more I see horses and ponies stood for long periods of time with no hay or haylage. Usually under the guise of a “weight control diet”. So how long can a horse be without food before damage is done? And what damage is done?

For those with a short attention span, I’ll give you the answer to begin with - 4 hours, maximum.

Why?

Horses are grazers. They are designed to eat constantly. They have no way of storing their acids and digestive enzymes, they’ve never needed to. They have no gall bladder to store bile and their stomachs release acid constantly, whether or not there is food in the stomach and intestines.

A horses stomach only holds approximately 8-15 litres. Depending on the substance eaten, it takes on average 4-6 hours for the stomach to completely empty. After this, the acids and enzymes start to digest the inside of the horses stomach and then the intestines. This causes both gastric and intestinal ulceration. It has been estimated that 25-50% of foals and 60-90% of adult horses suffer from ulceration. But I won’t go into detail about this, there is a lot of information around about ulcers.

So is that it? Are ulcers the only concern?

No, having an empty stomach is a stress situation for a horse. The longer they are starved, the more they release stress hormones, cortisol predominantly. Cortisol blocks insulin and causes a constantly high blood glucose level. This stimulates the body to release even more insulin, and in turn this causes fat tissue to be deposited and leptin resistance. Over time this causes insulin resistance (Equine Metabolic Syndrome). All of these mechanisms are well known risk factors for laminitis and are caused by short term starvation (starting roughly 3-4 hours after the stomach empties). Starving a laminitic is literally the worst thing you can do. Over longer periods, this also starts to affect muscle and can cause weakness, and a lack of stamina so performance horses also need a constant supply of hay/haylage to function optimally.

Let’s not forget horses are living, breathing and feeling animals. We talk about this stress reaction like it’s just internal but the horse is well aware of this stress. Door kicking, box walking, barging and many other stable vices and poor behaviour can be explained by a very stressed horse due to food deprivation (we all have that Hangry friend to explain this reaction). Next time you shout or hit a horse that dives for their net, remember their body is genuinely telling them they are going to starve to death. They know no different.

But surely they spend the night asleep so they wouldn’t eat anyway?

Not true. Horses only need 20mins REM sleep every 24 hours (jealous? I am!). They may spend a further hour or so dozing but up to 22-23 hours a day are spent eating. So if you leave your horse a net at 5pm and it’s gone by 8pm, then by 12am their stomach is empty. By 4am they are entering starvation mode. By their next feed at 8am, they are extremely stressed, physically and mentally.

Now I know the many are reading this mortified. I can almost hear you shouting at your screen “if I feed my horse ad lib hay he won’t fit out the stable door in a week!!”

I will say that a horse with a constant supply of hay/haylage will eat far less then the same horse that is intermittently starved. They don’t eat in a frenzy, reducing the chance of colic from both ulcers and over eating.
Don’t forget exercise. The best way to get weight off a horse is exercise. Enough exercise and they can eat what they want!

Written by Vikki Fowler BVetMed BAEDT MRCVS

A few edits for the critics-

Firstly, feeding a constant supply does not mean ad lib feeding. It means use some ingenuity and spread the recommended amount of daily forage so the horse is never stood with out food for more than 4 hours. I am not promoting obesity, quite the opposite, feeding like this reduces obesity and IR. This can be done whilst feeding your horse twice a day as most horse owners do. Just think outside the box. Hang a hay bag or hay net*is one solution. Every horse/pony and situation is different, but this is a law of nature and all horses have this anatomy and metabolism. How you achieve this constant supply is individual, the need for it is not.

*the use of hay nets in the UK is very very high. I’d estimate 95% of horses I see are fed this way and very very few have incisor wear or neck/back issues as a result. Yes, feeding from the ground is ideal, but a constant supply, I feel trumps this. Again with ingenuity both can be safely achieved.

Final finally 🤦‍♀️ and I feel I must add this due to the sheer number of people contacting me to ask, feed your horses during transport!!! I am astonished this is not normal in other countries! Again in the UK, we give our horses hay nets to transport. We don’t go 10 mins up the road without a haynet and a spare in case they finish! Considering we are a tiny island and we rarely transport even 4 hours, we never transport without hay available. I have never seen an episode of choke due to travelling with hay available. If you are concerned, use a slow feeder net so they can’t take too much in at once.

If you get to the end of this post and your first thought is “I can’t do this with my horse/pony, they’d be morbidly obese”, you haven’t read the advice in this post thoroughly.

Thanks Trish!!

13/07/2023

To the trainers who are trying their best—remember:

Not every horse will leave your facility in a place where you feel 100% confident in where they are at with their training.

Not every horse will “make it” at the level your customer expects.

Not every customer will be able to continue a horse’s training the way that you would have.

Not every customer will take the time to learn how to use their horse to its full potential.

Not every customer will give you the opportunity to spend the time you need to make a horse truly great.

Not everyone will appreciate your approach, or understand your training philosophy.

But, also remember that…

There will be plenty of great customers who appreciate your perspective and program.

There will be many wonderful people with talented horses that will cross your path.

There will someday be an opportunity to ride that once-in-a-lifetime horse that you will get to put your mark on.

There will be ample opportunities to educate and empower your customers to reach their full potential with their horses.

There will be plenty of happy people who give you a call to tell you about all the success they are having with their horses.

There will be endless opportunities to feel grateful and blessed about the people and horses you get to work with everyday.

The strongest asset you can have as a horse trainer is perspective. Focus on the good, and the good gets better.

23/06/2023

05/06/2023

Thankful to say I have graduated from my program at Lakeland College in the Animal Science Technology with a major in Equine.

I‘m so blessed to have these three that were by my side, especially Sonador who was used both years, as my main horse in the first year and my backup for second year.

Thankful for all the life lessons this chapter within this life journey gave me and so glad I get to move on forward with all this knowledge.

19/05/2023

With all the forest fires burning up across the province and neighbouring province ensure keep your horse’s health your main priority especially with any respiratory issues. 

Just a PSA post about Air Quality and equine exercise for anyone wondering! Always put your horses health first in these conditions 😉

** For those asking it’s currently 161 in Virden Manitoba and rapidly changing by the hour**

11/05/2023

Do the best you can do with what you have.

The best lessons are learned when you have to do things the hard way. Don’t be jealous of what others have, be happy for them.

If someone has what you want then make it a goal to achieve or obtain what it is that they have.

Be grateful that you have to earn yours and enjoy the work that goes into achieving those goals.

Be accepting of the lessons you will learn and be thankful you are capable to make your own way.

www.betweenthereins.us



📸: Bee Silva

23/04/2023

Alumni Rodeo - Lakeland College - Pole Bending - 24.654

Early this month we ran in the alumni rodeo, not quick enough in the barrel racing to pull a cheque but a cleaner smoother run was achieved. Then she had a wicked run through the poles, pulling a 3rd place and making her first pole rodeo payout. The last time she ran poles was in Dawson Creek so it was amazing to compare the process to each other.

23/04/2023

Blast from the past as I play a little catch up with posting. Little Royal Rodeo March 2023 - 15.059

While our rodeo season was limited with Sonador due to her getting strangles and have an extended period of recovery. We went out and laid down this run and was just thankful to have her back and feeling her, this was her only rodeo she ran in the spring CIRA season as I was very careful to ensure she was ready before we even considered entering and only ran in one event instead of two.

11/04/2023

As my journey ends finalizing the last couple days of my college program, I owe it all to this black horse, Dakota. He has made me such a more confident rider and roper.

He is off to a wonderful home where I already get updates from his new owner. Dakota now starts his new journey with his new name Keeper.

I’m so thankful to get paired up with him, I wish him all the best of luck with his journey in life.

25/03/2023

Less than 24 hours till the sale!

13/03/2023

Dakota went out and did amazing at the Ranch Rodeo Friday evening! This gelding has only been headed off under a dozen times and he acts like an old pro in a competition! Absolutely proud of this gelding and all his achievements and proud of the team working together!

10/03/2023

Another important key factor when owning senior horses however all these points are important regardless of the horse’s age!

Fun Fact: More than 1️⃣5️⃣ percent of the U.S. equine population is older than 20 with many still participating in athletic activities.

With so many of today’s horses living and working into their late 20's and even 30's, it is important to adjust their nutrition programs as they age, check out these 4 tips for senior well-being:

🦷 Dental Upkeep
First and foremost, a senior horse must be on a routine dental evaluation program. The years take a toll on a horse’s teeth, resulting in tooth loss and deterioration of the biting surface. A horse that is unable to properly chew his food will not be able to keep a healthy body condition and could possibly choke on his feed. An equine dental professional should examine the horse’s mouth at least yearly, and as the horse ages, maybe every six months.

💫 Protein Absorption
As a horse ages, the effectiveness of his digestive tract to absorb nutrients declines. Research has found that there is a decreased absorption of phosphorus, vitamins and especially proteins. It’s important to provide a feed that contains quality protein, which is determined by its amino acid content. Soybean meal is an excellent protein source for aged horses because of its high quantities of lysine and threonine. Alfalfa meal is also another good source of the amino acid leucine, which helps in preventing loss of muscle mass.

🐎 Hindgut Health
Production of the enzyme needed for starch digestion can diminish with age, allowing too much starch to enter the hindgut. The microbial fermentation of starch will cause the hindgut to become more acidic, causing hindgut acidosis, which can make a horse more prone to colic and laminitis. To improve the stability of the hindgut, make sure the feed has sufficient levels of yeast cultures, prebiotics and probiotics as well as natural digestive enzymes for proper nutrient utilization.

🥦 Fiber Intake
Obtaining sufficient fiber is important to maintain a healthy digestive tract. However, ensuring a senior horse receives adequate fiber can be a challenge if he has lost too many teeth or they are too degraded for chewing hay or grass. Beet pulp in a senior feed is an excellent fermentable fiber source and can be mixed with water to make a wet mash for easier digestion.

🤓Bluebonnet Recommends:

🐴 Intensify®Senior Therapy:
🔍 https://bluebonnetfeeds.com/intensify-senior-therapy/

With high quality protein of 14 percent and an elevated fat level of 8 percent, Intensify Technology combines cutting-edge nutrition with high-quality ingredients and specialized milling processes to increase digestive performance. Intensify Senior Therapy can be fed as a complete feed with or without hay or pasture.

🐴 Horseman's Elite Senior Care:

This product is designed to provide superior nutrition on a budget. High levels of fiber and an easy-to-chew pellet make this an ideal feed for senior horses.

🔍 https://bluebonnetfeeds.com/search.php?search_query=senior+care

05/03/2023

Just Ranchin and Ropin 🐮

Bittersweet as I say goodbye to Dakota (DHR Dual Thunder) as he goes up for sale in the RoundUp sale on the 25th at Vermilion Lakeland College in the Equine Center as Lot #25. This gelding has been an absolutely pleasure to start throughout the program under Matt’s and Ron’s instruction. He’s going to make a wonderful ranch and all around prospect.

05/03/2023

Equine nutrition is extremely important to me and I loved every second of this lecture. 😁

Thank you Hoffman's Horse Products and Country Junction Feeds for coming out today!Our team is grateful for the educational experiences while building rations for our horses. Kirstin and Bernie answered all our questions and hosted a great lecture on nutrition.

24/02/2023

Very important read!

“Horses don't have a gallbladder. Because of this, horses' livers only secrete bile acids, salts, and buffers when stimulated by consumption of food. Horses with an empty stomach for a prolonged period of time are more prone to ulcers because the stomach continually releases stomach acid, regardless of whether or not food is consumed. The buffering agents which neutralize this acid are only released when food is consumed. Do not let your horse go more than 6 hours without eating. Do not exercise or transport your horse on an empty stomach.” - Podcast Ep. 48 | Gastro pHix - Foregut Health

Listen to the entire episode wherever you consume your podcasts!

bluebonnetfeeds.com

21/02/2023

It’s been an absolute pleasure to bring up this gelding. I been personally working with Dakota since last fall. This gelding is going to make a wicked ranch and or an all around horse. I have just lightly started him on the barrel pattern.

Dakota sells March 25th at Vermilion Lakeland College at the Equine Center as Lot #25 in the RoundUp sale.

Dakota is a 4-year-old solid black gelding that stands 15.1hh. This gentlegelding has a ground covering stride and smooth enough to travel miles onhim. He is...