Ferguson Family Farm LLC

01/19/2025

Trying to post as much helpful and positive horsemanship possible. After meeting so many horse people I’ve realized I may be the only one who cares about every little detail, and I’m realizing that’s okay. If I and anyone else who aye attention to and likes these shared posts cares then that’s enough.

Understand your horse❤️🐴

👉Like us, horses have different coping styles for dealing with stress.

🐴Not all stress is bad for the horse as small amounts can help them learn and adapt to their surroundings, for example learning that a plastic bag blowing in the wind isn’t going to harm them.

❗However, long-term stress is likely to impact their welfare in a negative way and cause a range of health issues like colic, stomach ulcers, weight loss/gain, depression, teeth grinding and immune or reproductive issues.

⚠️Stress can also trigger the development of stereotypical behaviours or learned helplessness.

Recognising chronic stress in your horse and early intervention is key to protecting their welfare and ensuring they live a good quality of life 🐎

Find out more: https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/behaviour/equine-stress/

01/13/2025

01/11/2025

The best supplements in existence might be offered.

The most expensive massage treatments, red light therapy, joint injections and more may be given.

The barn may be adorned with beautiful brick walls, wrought iron accents and gorgeous mahogany stall fronts.

But, a gilded cage is still a cage.

A horse without the freedom to practice natural behaviour still remains a prisoner…

no matter the luxuries offered in the absence of basic needs.

Horses are an animal that needs space. They need socialization with other horses.

Isolation and confinement are among some of the most damaging factors to welfare.

Modernizing horse care should include an honest look at how damaging excessive time spent stalled is to welfare — both physically and mentally.

01/11/2025

How good are you at spotting abnormal compensatory posture?

Can you give these images a grade.
Dr Gellman and I were looking into assessing a lay person assessment protocol for abnormal compensatory posture.

-2 is all 4 feet camped under
-1 is 2 or more feet camped under
0 is normal neutral posture
+1 is camped out

Just in case you didn’t know. I have done a whole series of webinars with Dr Gellman and now her and the team are providing a comprehensive course to become a posture expert!

Take a look at it here…

https://ted2024.krtra.com/t/bUc2Ipy8fvZa

01/10/2025

Horse sales, expectations, an epidemic in problems getting along with animals, and why I’ll never sell the horses I have

All this has been on my mind more than usual recently as I’ve helped a few students navigate the process of finding and purchasing a suitable horse for them.

I’ve been on about every side of a horse sale there is, and find every angle distasteful personally. I used to sell a few horses here and there and found the expectations of those looking to purchase unreasonable, and the horse quickly reduced to an object sold for a price- one that should come with buttons and a manual and not change no matter what the handling or environment was like.

As I helped my students find horses, I found the sale and presentation dishonest, and uncomfortable as well. These horses carry high price tags and are presented as these types of robots that fulfill the desires of a purchaser : ten minutes of video of all the things the horse will tolerate- tarps blowing, people standing on their backs, but very little into WHO this horse is and what they need.

For clarity, it’s not that I’m opposed to purchasing or selling horses. I just have very few personal experiences of it being any fun

The focus on horses in the industry often is very much on what the person needs or wants to get out of an experience with horses. Because of this, we struggle to get along with horses. Over the years, I’ve found my heart broken time and time again to hear some of the gentlest and easiest horses I loved moved along because their owners simply could not get along with them - often because they took too much, expected too much, and gave to the horse too little of what a horse actually needs.

What a horse actually needs - that is such a nebulous concept anymore. Of course it’s fine to purchase a horse that suits your needs, and we aren’t required to get along with horses who’s temperaments don’t suit us - but any horse can quickly unravel when we don’t commit to husbandry, to rising to the occasion, to being the kind of person and having the kind of life a horse needs. They didn’t ask to come into our lives - it is not their responsibility to bend to unrealistic requirements, and it isn’t even possible for them to do so most of the time.

I’ve had reports of my horses, the most gentle ones who I can’t imagine being difficult for someone to handle, becoming unruly and unmanageable for folks - won’t stand for trims, won’t lead, aggressive or spooky. These are the horses my children ride , the quietest ones I have - what does it take for a horse to unravel? A persons lack of awareness, poor support to the horse; and unreasonable expectations.

So long as we societally don’t focus on GIVING to our animals but instead taking, we will continue to have problems getting along, and horses will continue to bounce through homes, with their stressed behavior becoming increasingly described as their personality

12/28/2024

Buck Brannaman clinic schedule for 2025 has been posted to his website. I’ll be auditing in Buffalo in September.

12/23/2024

12/22/2024

12/19/2024

Geoffrey hopping on the trailer like a trained pro.

12/19/2024

Geoffrey self loading. This didn’t take me long with him honestly even though he was a nightmare at times to load.

12/09/2024

I had a great time auditing the Jean Luc Cornille clinic today at Kinney Hill in South Hampton, NH!

He was one of the first names I came across in 2014 when I was looking for resources on navicular rehab. It was awesome to see him in person! I’m glad he spent quite a bit of time today talking about navicular and some of the cases he has “fixed” through proper carriage/riding and proper biomechanics, and while I am not as skilled when it comes to riding knowledge, I look for proper biomechanics on the ground with all my navicular rehab cases as well!

I believe there are still auditor spots open for tomorrow, if you’re interested in biomechanics/classical training check out this link to sign up -

https://facebook.com/events/s/jean-luc-cornille-clinic-and-l/1184827652632855/

12/05/2024

Hello. A drawing for a cold December day. I hope you’re ok wherever you are in the world.

12/04/2024

12/04/2024

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