Hensley's Show Horses

01/11/2025

If you are asking if we got snow, here is the answer. Harley has a few issues in the deep snow.

11/08/2024

10/11/2024

Honey getting a treatment from Erica Willett. She really likes it, note the smile on both their faces.

09/18/2024

05/27/2024

The view from the office this morning.

05/04/2024

Give Tessa a call for all your feeding questions. She can get your horse on the correct track with good nutritional information. She also does bookkeeping for the horse industry.

03/28/2024

Today I want to debunk some common fairy tales about horses' salivation when being ridden.... It's not true at all it to be good because it lubricates the mouthpiece, it's not true at all it to be good because when the horse is drooling it means that he is accepting the bit and it's not true at all it to be good because when the horse swallows it means that he is relaxed and focused on the work. Instead when horses salivate while working there are many negative reactions happening throughout their body. In fact the horses' digestive system is made of a complex series of structures that must work together in order to maintain the homeostasis and whenever horses salivate this system automatically starts to work. Saliva is created to be the first interaction with food by starting the breakdown process with an enzyme called amylase and it is also responsible for lubricating the food bolus in order for it to pass through the esophagus and reach the stomach. What's more the production of saliva also activates the vagus nerve, that is the nerve responsible for the digestion by stimulating the stomach to release the acids breaking down the food. Consequently without food being present in the stomach the whole system unavoidably suffers a homeostatic imbalance and unfortunately with the acids working on an empty stomach there is just the perfect condition for a dangerous gastric ulcer to occur, that is an open wound in the lining of the stomach with many different health consequences. That's the reality of what truly happens when horses salivate during work and again all of the fairy tales being told to make it appear even as something good to wish for are just one of the endless lies of the equestrian world to keep exploiting horses no matter what and no matter how. It's really time to wake up.

02/05/2024

Limited slots available. Clinician Jean Haller, Congress competitor in Ranch events. Reserve your slot today.
Clinic fee $85 total. $25 to hold your slot. Morning session will be Ranch Riding and afternoon Ranch Trail.