Raven Tree Stables LLC: Equine & K9 Education

09/13/2025

09/13/2025

📢!Public comment opportunity!📢

The Animal Control Advisory Board (ACAB) is proposing changes to Titles 8 and 17 regarding cruelty and neglect of animals in the Municipality of Anchorage and is soliciting feedback regarding the proposed changes.

Three ways to provide feedback:

Submit written testimony via email about the proposed changes to [email protected].

Provide in-person testimony at the 6pm ACAB meeting on Thursday, September 25, 2025. You will have three minutes to speak about the proposed changes.

Provide testimony via telephone at the Thursday, September 25, 2025, 6pm ACAB meeting. Call 907-343-6060 and you will have three minutes to speak about the proposed changes.

Please review the proposed changes prior to providing testimony: https://bit.ly/ANC-ACAB

Deadline for written comments: September 26, 2025

09/13/2025

Sometimes you have to get creative with bandaging. 😅

09/04/2025

08/20/2025

Think we could ever make the arena obstacle challenge this hard?

08/14/2025

We’re part of the FEC events aug30 and September 1st!
These events are beginner friendly for all ages!
These free events are to learn in new environments, grow with our horses, and have fun together as a horse community.

Please bring your patience, encouragement, kindness and enthusiasm! Our goal is to have new experiences safely. All ages welcome.
We will have in hand, lead-line, youth(under18), beginner, and advanced class options.

🐎Saddle up and check out our full schedule of equestrian events at the Fair! There are a variety of opportunities to watch and participate. For a breakdown of Fair events visit: https://www.alaskastatefair.org/site/daily-schedule/daily-schedule-by-venue/france-equestrian-center/

08/14/2025

08/13/2025

𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 - 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?🐴 👅

There’s a widespread belief that horses should be fed loose salt instead of block salt, based on the idea that they can consume loose salt more easily. This belief stems from the fact that salt blocks were originally designed for cattle, who have rougher tongues and can more effectively lick salt from a block.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡?

At the 2025 Equine Science Society Symposium in June, my friend and colleague, Dr. Devan Catalano of Colorado State University, presented new findings that aimed to answer this very question.

🧪 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬

Sixteen mature horses were individually housed and assigned to one of two treatments:

🔹 Loose salt

🔹 Block salt

Each horse remained on one treatment for seven days before switching to the other in a crossover design. The entire study was repeated so that each horse received both treatments twice. Salt consumption was measured by weighing the salt before and after each seven-day period.

📊 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬

The form of salt (loose vs. block) did not significantly impact overall intake. However, individual variability played a major role in which some horses consumed more salt than others, regardless of the form offered. This highlights the wide range of intrinsic motivation among horses to seek out and consume salt.

💡 Interestingly, only 7 of the 16 horses met the recommended daily salt intake of 30 grams per day, suggesting that many horses may not self-regulate adequately when left with free-choice salt alone.

💭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

These findings suggest that free-choice salt access, whether loose or in a block, may not be sufficient to meet the daily salt needs of many horses. If you’re concerned about intake, top-dressing salt onto feed can help ensure your horse gets enough, but keep in mind this can sometimes reduce palatability of the meal.

📣 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞

Free choice access to loose salt isn’t necessarily better than a block, but neither may be enough on its own. Monitor your horse’s intake and consider top-dressing if needed to meet their daily requirements.

Cheers,

Dr. DeBoer

Murphy BA, Catalano D. Effect of form on equine salt intake. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2025 May 1;148:105502.

08/11/2025

What obstacles would everyone like to see at our event the last weekend of the fair?

We will have in hand, lead-line, youth, beginner, and advanced class options for everyone!

08/08/2025

08/06/2025

Check out "Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2023". The United States is one of the examples of what happens when vaccines and public health policies exist. That said, it's important to realize rabies is still very much a thing.
Veterinary workers: Get vaccinated!

Read more here about species that transmit rabies and the importance of :
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/aop/javma.25.05.0344/javma.25.05.0344.xml?tab_body=fulltext

04/25/2025