Braided Manes Equine Rescue

11/05/2024

10/26/2024

10/26/2024

https://www.columbiatheatre.com/new-events/44th-annual-seattle-comedy-competition

07/01/2024

If you’re looking to buy a horse, please don’t buy one that is in a daily program if you, at best, ride two or three times each month.

If you primarily trail ride, don’t shop in the arenas. It isn’t fair to you; it isn’t fair to the horse.

If you’re a rider who needs a great deal of control, don’t buy the horse who revels in freedom of movement, the one who can—and must—go for miles.

If you're in the place where your learning is new and almost overwhelming, don’t buy the horse who still needs a teacher.

Why not? I’ll repeat, it isn’t fair to the horse.

Riders, we need to get honest with where we are in the saddle! Now. Not someday, not maybe, but now. Our reluctance to do so is perhaps the biggest reason it’s so hard to find a good match.

If we’re afraid, even just a little bit, then we need to own it. If we no longer ride as often, or as athletically as we once did, then we need to say so. Why?

Because until we get honest with ourselves, we will never be fair to the horse.

Photo: Mary Durant.

06/14/2024

06/14/2024

No one expects a lifetime of love to change.So, what happens to your horse, when something happens to you?Life is uncertain. Most horses in rescues are the...

06/10/2024

05/23/2024

Okay. . .listen,

If my husband doesn't recant agreeing to what I'm about to tell you because I selected this particular photo for the annoucement, we have a cool addition to the ATFO this year!

In the horse industry, we all know how difficult it is for trainers and horses because many horse owners / riders aren't as skilled as they need to be.

This can sometimes be someone who has owned and ridden horses for decades, but they just haven't really invested in learning more as they went along.

The Appalachian Trainer Face Off makes it possible for untrained or barely trained horses to get the training they need to find homes, but year after year, we find that upper level horses are overlooked in favor of easier horses because too few people who own horses can really give a home to a solid intermediate horse and continue on with success, let alone an advanced type horse.

Too few good handlers and riders are at the root of horses ending up in bad situations.

Read about this issue here: https://heartofphoenix.org/2017/07/24/become-the-right-rider-so-more-horses-can-be-the-righthorse-for-you/

We want to correct that.

This year, we have a volunteer in John Creamer (it was his idea, mostly, that we have fleshed out) who will go through the human version of the ATFO.

While he has ridden, helped me load dangerous/difficult/feral horses and hauled a lot of horses, he has never had an actual lesson in horsemanship or riding. He has a ton to learn, as we all do, and he has offered, though he doesn't have a much horse interest, to be our trial guinea pig for this year to show:

How much can you teach a human in 100 days about becoming a horseman.

We are looking for catchy names for this part of the event that work well with the ATFO Name.

We will be traveling to trainers through out the summer, doing video / write ups / he will have a page to follow and hashtag, and ultimately, we think the judges will score him at the main event in how far along he has come; heck, he might do a demo haha!

The goal is to document how much you can learn for the sake of horses and horsemanship when you commit to just 100 days, and it will show much there always is to learn.

Ultimately,

If this goes well, we will turn this year's event into part of the yearly ATFO competition as a human division. People apply, those selected will have an evalution of what they know, then they will commit to visiting approved trainers, learning through various avenues and coming to show what they have learned at the main event against other folks.

So stay tuned for 's first update

And if you're interested in being part of this next year, you let us know!

I can see this helping more of our upper level horses get adopted, and that would be an incredible outcome!

05/16/2024

If you believe that horses need grain in their diet to meet their nutritional needs, you are not alone. However, horses should get most of their nutrients from a good quality forage source such as grass, hay, hay pellets, or a complete feed.

Horses generally eat between 1.5-2% of their body weight each day, so an average size 1,000 lbs horse should eat 15- 20 lbs of hay daily. To help fill any nutrient gaps such as essential vitamins or minerals, a ration balancer may be beneficial. Depending on breed, body condition, and exercise level, concentrates may be added in to provide additional energy but are often not needed.

When deciding on what to feed your horse, it is best to invest in high quality forages as the foundation of your feeding plan. You can even have your hay tested to see exactly what nutrients it is providing. Please consult with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about your horse's diet before making any major changes, and remember that any changes should be made gradually over time to avoid GI upset.
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

05/04/2024

Vader May Day parade. About to start. Their first parade, all decked out as circus ponies.
Hope all that umbrella training pays off.

05/03/2024

1 month! She's bounced back super quick. Lice is cleared, rain rot I would say 90%cleared up still shedding out. But she's looking and feeling good!
Everyone