Rocking L Equestrian Center and Boarding Stable

07/25/2024

We would like to welcome Pip into the family. Along with Amber and her son Jaden. Quite possibly the most colorful horse we have had to date. Welcome.

06/29/2024

We have a couple of stall openings.

A couple of horses get to go home to be in their owners own backyard and have their very own pastures. We are very happy for the horses and their owners. Congratulations.

We have an indoor and outdoor arena. The staff looks out for your horse as if it is our own horse. Fed twice daily, daily turnout, stalls are cleaned daily, alfalfa/orchard grass fed daily in the stall or round bales in the pasture.

Come check us out. We would be happy to have you in the Rocking L family.

05/25/2024

We have two stalls available for full or partial board. Our prices are are lower than most facilities in our area. Please check us out.

06/07/2023

https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/horse-joint-supplements-guide-29872/

Confused by all the formulas out there? Here are the most common ingredients in joint nutraceuticals, what they do and the recommended levels

02/05/2023

https://fb.watch/iivfhx0ERr/

02/05/2023

01/31/2023

https://eevs.com.au/common-hoof-problems-during-winter/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com&fbclid=IwAR0Hf1xDcSqYmjDQx1eIIkvHbvL0e-kPl0izjNom63CwIJpC3YfLiH3qDWY

Winter can provide some big problems for horse owners, usually in the form of toll on your horse hooves. Come and learn four most hooves prevalent in Australia.

01/27/2023

SWOLLEN PAROTID GLANDS

OH GOSH, THIS POST WENT VIRAL. AFTER READING THIS, MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY THANK YOU VIDEO AS WELL:
https://www.facebook.com/thirza.hendriks/videos/10155418047031795/

When working with horses, I always check the parotid glands. I notice that the majority of (rehabilitation) horses have swollen parotid glands to some extent. When I ask the owner/rider about this is usually get either one of these answers:

1) I haven’t really noticed
2) He/she has always had it, it’s no big deal
3) It’s something that started in the last couple of weeks/months

It is important to keep track of the parotid glands of your horse as it provides information about the general health of your horse, general relaxation and your way of training.

When the parotid glands are swollen, it has an impact on your training. It will influence the horse’s acceptance of the bit/bridle. It often hinders relaxation and tenses up the jaw area. Swellings near the throatlatch can also limit or compress the airway when the horse is asked into a more flexed position.

Energy can’t flow all the way through so other parts of the body will get stiff and stressed as well due to interconnection. Tension in the jaw area is visible all the way back into the hind.

So what are the causes? Swellings in this region can be caused by multiple things:

1) Parotiditis: Also know as ‘grass glands’. when the swellings only appear in spring/summer it could be a histamine reaction.

2) Dental issues: from teething bumps to infections and even fractures. There is a wide range of dental problems that can cause swellings in the jaw area.

3) Melanoma: In grey horses it is not uncommon to find big melanoma around this region

4) Lymph nodes: The submandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes are part of the immune system and respond to any reactional processes such as infections.

5) Training: The parotidoauricular muscle is encased by the parotid glands. Certain practices will lead to overdevelopment of this muscle, resulting in over crompression of the parotid glands. If a horse is trained correctly, the space in the parotid glands will become ‘hollow’ and increase instead of ‘narrowing’ and ‘bulging’ out.

If you look at the first picture, you’ll see a horse with quite severe swollen parotid glands. This horse came to me for a 3 month period of rehabiliation and experienced a lot of tension throughout the body. At the second picture, you’ll see that this area improved A LOT after just 3 (!) months of proper rehabilitation training.

Again, as with my previous posts, I can’t tell you WHAT specific excercises / action you and your horse needs in your specific situation straight from paper. However, there are a couple of general things to note to create/keep healthy parotid glands:

- ANY backwards motion of your hands will NARROW the space

- ANY overflexion will results in BULGING of the parotid glands

- Training without FULL RELAXATION is ineffective. So if your horse is tensed in the jaw area, it will work all the way through the hind. ALWAYS prioritize to relax your horse fully before you start working.

- Your horse is ALWAYS right. So if you experience any signs of: Pulling the reins; tilting the head; rearing / bucking; ‘against’ the bit; uneven rein pressure ‘leaning’ into your heads.. the horse is TELLING you something is wrong. What you feel in your hands is a reflection of what happens in the body.

- Energy should flow ALL THE WAY through from hind to front

- It is NEVER just training. It is always a combination of good management, nutrition etc.

- Keep breathing. Don’t get frustrated if it takes a while. You’re doing this for longterm health for you and your horse. Remember: it’s not about the result, but the journey!

So look at your horse. Feel your horse. Ask for help or guidance if you’re struggling with this. Your horse will be thankful.

01/24/2023

https://horsenetwork.com/2021/11/what-ever-happened-to-serviceably-sound/?fbclid=IwAR1rp4CJdpj_dcweLl0mNbpbewciqN1idDmbJVuhF-p0GYn3moAhc24Xi30

When I first got out of veterinary school and started looking at horses prior to purchase (usually referred to as a “vet check” or a prepurchase exam), the horses usually fit into one of three categories. The first category was the horse with no problems noted at the time of the exam. That decis...

01/23/2023

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/plus/vet-library/impaction-colic-horses-704913?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=horseandhound&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR388OK6qTTwsLPUeDBCEdRG1CZj8fA7hiVV_Bu5DHRi45VufQQdIq8gVl0

Impaction colic is one of the most common types of colic seen by vets, so get the latest expert advice on how to recognise the signs and what to do next

01/22/2023

A few of our own from the NOHSA World Show in Sept.

01/21/2023

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPOT COLIC IN HORSES?

Colic is not a disease; it is merely a symptom of disease. Specifically, colic indicates a painful problem in the horse's abdomen (belly), which can be caused by a number of different conditions. Less than 10% of all colic cases are severe enough to require surgery or cause the death of the horse; nevertheless, every case of colic should be taken seriously because it can be difficult to tell the mild ones from the potentially serious ones in the early stages.

Horses show signs of abdominal pain in a wide variety of ways, and usually a horse shows only a few of the signs during an episode of colic. The rule of thumb is—the more obvious the signs of pain, the more serious the problem.

If you suspect the horse is suffering from colic, we suggest that you:
• Alert your veterinarian immediately.
• Remove all hay and grain from the horse's surroundings.
• Don't medicate without your veterinarian's approval, as pain medications can mask clinical signs;
• Walk the horse around if it's continually rolling or in danger of hurting itself—but do not tire the horse with relentless walking and don't approach the animal if it's not safe.
• Keep the horse under close observation until the signs of colic resolve or the veterinarian arrives.

The key to increasing the chances of a good outcome is to identify the problem early and get your veterinarian involved from the start. Consult your horse doctor for more information and be sure to ask them how they can be reached if your horse colics after hours!

12/21/2022

https://extension.umn.edu/horse-care-and-management/caring-your-horse-winter

Horses acclimated to cold temperatures often prefer and are better off outdoors.

06/25/2022

Full board or partial board available
$300-$400

Located in Crawfordsville, IN.

Indoor/outdoor arena, enclosed tack room located in main barn, outdoor run-in sheds located on pastures, acreage to ride outside of arenas, family friendly environment.

Contact us for more details.

03/08/2021

This photo was taken last week. It’s of horses and riders....not just any horses and riders though. This is one of our older girls who took one of our littles under her wing for the day so she could ride outside for the first time.

02/24/2021

https://ayankeeinparis.com/2021/02/24/the-business-of-boarding/?fbclid=IwAR396IN97zz9lrD0HH_dmWYUrQlWZAiL7zBfpIDkrvFJ9zSKX2JQsthnA3E

We hear it all of the time: “I don’t make any money off of boarding, its a business of love.” And we as the boarders shake our heads in frustration, wondering how our hard earned …

01/17/2021

Rocking L and KP Performance Horses is well represented at the Montgomery Co. Horse and Pony Club. We are looking forward to a great year!