Xhalt Equestrian Center Inc

07/29/2024

06/03/2024

NexHA™ (hyaluronate sodium) Injectable Solution is FDA approved as bioequivalent to Legend® intravenous injection at an affordable price.

05/28/2024

Our first day open will be this Wednesday 11am to 5pm! We cannot wait to welcome you into our new space!

04/26/2024

Crossing the Bridge.

I stood beside your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying; you found it hard to sleep.

I whinnied to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you. I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was with you at my grave today; you tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.

I walked with you toward the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I put my head against you, nickered and said, "It's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you every day.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."

You sat there very quietly, then smiled; I think you knew.
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll gallop across to greet you, and we'll stand there side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there's so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me.

04/22/2024

🐎 AN OPEN MESSAGE TO COMPETITORS FROM SHOW FACILITY MANAGEMENT ON BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS 🐎

We recently finished (successfully) our first schooling show since the EHV quarantine period ended, and wanted to share some thoughts on the mixed reactions to our new protocols; highlights of those changes are:

💉Updated Shot Requirements
🌡️2 x per Day Temperature Checks with posted USEF logs
📃 More strict requirements for records and health certificates for out-of-state competitors

Most were, and have been, very supportive despite a few extra steps. We greatly appreciate you! Some had to be pressured or threatened to get them to comply. The question is, "why?" Ignorance is bliss until it's not, and the situation is worse than it had to be. With each challenge we face at the farm, we do our best to get better and learn for the next one.

These are the responses we get, usually to temp checks:
📌My horse is young/doesn't like it-Good. An opportunity to get him used to it.
📌It takes a while-Good. An opportunity for your team to work together and share the work to make the show safer, quickly.
📌 "X" Facility isn't making us do this-Good. We'll be safer here... until you come back from there.

This is what the new normal looks like⬇️, and we hope you'll embrace it for the sake of the community despite some additional steps. At the end of the day, if you're dishonest on your temp logs and hide an illness or warning signs intentionally, we may not know or find out right away, but someone does, and that's not a great example and it's a risk to others.

The reality is that, sometimes... people want biosecurity until it's time to do biosecurity things. Please don't make show management need to be the biosecurity police.

‼️ Now, if these measures do identify a fever... it's important that we normalize a calm and rational response to the situation, because we all know that there are many causes of fever in horses-abscesses, infections, other inflammation, respiratory illness, etc. If show management initiates a stop movement order to investigate, remain calm and wait for more information.

If you're not familiar with the new protocol details, please review them on our website; the 🔗 is in the comments!

We understand that new things take time for people to learn and get used to; all we ask is that you are patient, understanding, and flexible in helping us make this transition to ensure a safer show ecosystem! We are grateful for Lake Erie College School of Equine Studies, Stone Gate Farm, and World Equestrian Center for being aligned with us in these efforts and protocols.

🏆All that said, we look forward to a great show weekend this week, with the CVF A-Rated series end show, 25-28 April! 🏆

03/20/2024

Question:

Our pastures are greening up and with an early thaw in Minnesota, we've been considering letting the horses out to graze. Is there any reason that we shouldn't start grazing in March?

Answer:

March is too early to begin grazing in Minnesota. While tempting, you should wait until the pasture ground is firm and grasses reach a height between 6 and 8 inches before you begin acclimating your horses to grazing. Additionally, you'll want to remove horses from pastures to allow regrowth when grass heights average 3 to 4 inches. Grazing pastures too soon can damage plants and leave pastures sparse come spring and summer.

In the Upper Midwest, many pastures contain a mixture of cool-season grasses. During the growing season, these grasses store carbohydrates in the lower 3 inches of their stems. They use these carbohydrates for energy to support growth in the spring and regrowth throughout the grazing season. Cool-season grasses may begin growing as soil temperatures exceed 32 degrees F. Therefore, the green in your pasture could be new growth. As the grasses continue to grow, they rely heavily on their energy stores (carbohydrates) to put out two to three blades. Once these blades fully develop, they can capture sunlight to create new energy for the plant and rely less on stored energy in the roots.

Grazing pastures too soon can disrupt the growing process. A horse's incisors allow them to bite and tear grass stems close to the ground. As they graze stems lower than 3 inches, the horse eats away the grass's energy stores. They may also pull the grass out by the roots and trample new growth. As a result, the grass may struggle to grow or even die, making your pasture less productive. Waiting to graze until grasses are 6 to 8 inches tall will help set your pasture up for long-term success this grazing season and into the future.

Photo credit: Storyblocks

03/11/2024

Almost all horses have been infected with the virus and have no serious side effects. It is currently unknown what causes some infected horses to develop the serious neurological forms that may be fatal.

01/19/2024

With temperatures being so treacherously cold, Kelly Rowley decided her horses would have to stay inside her home.

01/19/2024

USDF gold medalist Barbro Ask-Upmark explains how unlocking your wrists can create softer contact

12/15/2023

11/25/2023

11/23/2023

Update from Esther, Sales Events Grateful   Dear Esther, Warm greetings from Tempel Farms! Some unexpected things have smoothed the difficult path of placing our beloved horses and closing our 65 ye

11/16/2023

In air traffic control audio, a pilot is heard saying, "The horse managed to escape its stall."

"There's no issue with flying, but we need to go back to New York as we can't resecure the horse."

Read more: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/dNiR4c

11/15/2023

To help move your horse sideways in leg-yield, imagine you are an ice skater …

You push off with one leg toward your other foot, stepping and putting your weight to the side, like an inside foot to an ice skater. Also, you cannot collapse at the waist, or you would fall.

Ruth Hogan-Poulsen has earned her USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medals as well as her Freestyle Gold Bar. All of these awards are with top Honors of Distinction. Her students have won top honors in the USDF Year-End, Horse of the Year and All Breed awards. She has been designing competitive musical freestyles for decades, which have been performed in all levels all over the world. She splits her time between Vermont and Florida.

🎨: Sandy Rabinowitz

11/10/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡.

On September 1, 2023, Merck Animal Health voluntarily recalled three batches of BANAMINE®/BANAMINE®-S (flunixin meglumine injection) 50 mg/mL in the United States, used for injection in cattle, swine and horses to the consumer level due to the presence of particulate matter.

Particulates were observed during routine quality testing and reviews for the following batches:

- BANAMINE 100mL, UIN 065474, NDC 00061-0851-03, Batch 2834102, exp Oct. 2024
(Distribution dates: March 6, 2023, to May 3, 2023)
- BANAMINE 250mL, UIN 065476, NDC 00061-0851-04, Batch 2864102, exp Nov. 2024
(Distribution dates: June 21, 2023, to July 11, 2023)
- BANAMINE-S 100mL, UIN 065477, NDC 0061-1838-30, Batch 2834103, exp Oct. 2024
(Distribution dates: March 20, 2023, to May 16, 2023)

The batch number, also known as the lot number (LOT), and expiry date (EXP) is located at the bottom right part of the bottle label. See the attached images that includes photos of each recalled bottle.

Using an injectable product that contains particulate matter may result in local irritation, swelling or infection in response to the foreign material. After intravenous administration in large animals, such as cattle or horses, particulate matter could travel to the lungs which could result in local tissue damage. To date, no adverse event reports have been received for the recalled batches.

Flunixin meglumine is a potent, non-narcotic, nonsteroidal, analgesic agent with anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity. It is approved in the US only for intravenous use in beef and dairy cattle, for intravenous and intramuscular use in horses and for intramuscular use in swine.

Customers who have received BANAMINE® and BANAMINE®-S from the batches being recalled should stop using the products and refer to their recall letter for product return instructions. Horse owners who have BANAMINE® in their barn should contact Merck or their veterinarian for help identifying the lot number and expiry date. Merck Animal Health is working with distributor partners to ensure that unused product is no longer in distribution or with customers. Merck is arranging for the return of all recalled product.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall should contact Merck Animal Health directly at 1-800-521-5767 (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT).

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA at 1-888-FDA-VETS or online at http://www.FDA.gov/reportanimalae.

11/03/2023

I will never be able to describe the power of time spent cleaning stalls.

During this time I have made some of the biggest decisions in my life. I have silently thought my way, step by step, through some of the biggest disasters of my life. I have ugly cried my way through heartbreak all while cleaning stalls. I’ve thrown bags of sawdust in range as I thought about all of the sh*tty things going on in my life. Each stall has oddly given me a place of comfort as I stood, fork in hand, feeling empty during the times I’ve felt so alone. It has taught me to appreciate the serenity of the quiet. Realizing the ones in my life I can count on and the numerous fake people who are only present when convenient for themselves. I’ve enjoyed a free gym membership, as I’ve sculpted my back and shoulders into “he man”, just sifting away. I’ve stumbled my way, dry heaving, with sunglasses ....cleaning stalls through last night’s hangover, because god forbid my best friend be forced to stand in a dirty stall. Today I spend my morning, cleaning stalls and processing my life. I’m mentally making life changing decisions, as I write this post, knowing that whatever I decide, it will be the right one, as it was made in a stall.

I understand that there are those who think us horse people should get “real” jobs. And that all we do is spend our days “playing” around. I’m genuinely sorry that you have never been exposed to a lifestyle that teaches you discipline, how to love unconditionally, put something other then yourself first, bust your ass for the things you want and need, kept humble by a 1200 lb animal, the real meaning of “hard work”, early mornings and late nights spent caring for something other than YOU. Those are things a “real job” will never give you.

Some of you haven’t cleaned stalls .....and it shows.

11/02/2023

I'll be in the barn.
When people have come to visit over the years
they commonly hear from me "I'll be in the barn."
When life gets hard I'll be in the barn.
When things are just right I'll be in the barn.
When the sun shines
The rain falls
Or snow covers the ground
I'll be in the barn.
If things seem to be falling apart or if I'm
celebrating the simple things, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for answers or trying to clear my mind, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for myself, I'll be in the barn.
If I'm working or trying to relax, I'll be in the barn.
Even when I'm not in the barn my mind drifts there, I find myself thinking about being in the barn...
It's where I keep my riches
All my wins and my failures
Every one of my hopes, dreams, hardships and
memories.
You can find them all in the barn, buried in the hay, hiding under a halter, spilling out of the feed bins,or glimmering with dust in the evening light.
I may be covered in dust, dirt, feed, hair, and hay, smell of sweat and manure, and sometimes there may be blood or tears but I'll be there. I'll be in the barn.
So if your wondering where to find me, I'll be in the barn. If I'm not there I promise I'm on my way.

Author Unknown

Photo by Jordan Blackstone

11/02/2023

A tough topic about an even tougher decision.
It would be easier if they just made the decision for us. Laid down to rest one warm fall afternoon surrounded by their herd mates, never to wake again.
Easier also is in the face of dire emergency, where the only choice is clear, the path to quick mercy.
Unfortunately for us as horse owners, there are blessed few who have that decision made for us. Most of the time, it’s up to us to make that last call.
The majority of us are left with the horses who served us well right up until the end, maybe even enjoying years of retirement. When you see them out in the pasture and wonder, “is this the end, or just a bad day? A bad few days?” “Oh – they look perky today, maybe things are looking up. What I thought I had to think, I don’t have to – today. It’s a good day.”
But the writing is on the wall. Their eyes are less bright, their weight hard to keep. Their gait shuffled, surviving, but no longer thriving.
All symptoms of the fact you have the hardest decision of your life to make, and soon. I wish it on no one and grieve the day I have to make the decision I advocate here for; the decision to let them go on a good day.
We are having a blessedly long and beautiful fall, but time is waning if you are only beginning to contemplate whether your trusted partner can face another barren, brutal, frostbitten winter.
You are the only advocate your horse has. His health is and has always been in your hands. In loving him as hard as you have for all these years, I hope you can love him hard enough to let them go on a good day, while there is still time.

10/10/2023

This week's editorial is a follow up to my previous article discussing the proliferation of the consumption of talent rather than the training of it to further develop it for the competitive sport of dressage. It is not a judging problem. It is not a breeding problem. It is an education problem. Aft...

10/08/2023

The blood vascular system of the hoof... I just can’t get over how intricate it is ♥️

10/07/2023

A very important reminder courtesy of the horse doctors at Miamitown Equine Veterinary Services:

"When securing blankets, make sure that the snaps/clips are facing inward, toward the horse! If they are facing out, they can easily become stuck on something, like the hay net in the picture."

05/15/2023

Recent rainfall and warmer temperatures have supported forage growth in horse pastures. We recommend, keeping your horses off pastures until the ground is firm and the grass has grown to 6 to 8 inches.

Once the grass has reached this height, you can start acclimating the horses to the pasture in 15-minute, daily increments (15 minutes the first day, 30 minutes the second day, etc.) until you reach 5 hours of grazing. After that, unrestricted grazing can occur. This gradual transition provides enough time for the horse’s microbial populations to adjust, which reduces the chance of laminitis and colic.

Infographic designed by Hannah Lochner, MS, UMN Extension

04/09/2023

281 signatures are still needed! Give Equine Breeders Recognition and Acknowledgement