Silver Rein Equestrian Ranch

04/24/2024

~Creative Enrichment~🪀🌻🌷☘️🌳

We got a little creative with the top of the stall wall!
❤️Do you have a horse that maybe needs some more enrichment in their stall? 🪀 maybe they are trying to scratch an itch they just can’t find the right angle to reach it at or starting to nibble on the wood……..
☀️Well We may have some ideas you could try!
We have a beautiful sweet little mare boarding with us who is in her ❤️❤️❤️3yr old year that needed a little something more than the boring wood on top of the stall! Young horses need lots of interesting things to do, see, feel and experience !! 🎉

You can try throwing some light weight saddle pads on top of the stall wall or……

Just think of it this way……It’s better to give the horse something enriching to do instead of looking at it as unwanted behavior🫶!
Take it as information that your horse may need something and is trying to tell you ❤️🫶

Instead of just adding angle iron……
🌻We got creative and added some of these very flexible equine soft rubber scratching pads!

Amazon link ⬇️

https://www.amazon.com/Sovipal-Equine-Bovine-Massage-Brush/dp/B0BTBZGTNT?

04/13/2024

💛So many ways to offer enrichment for our equines.💞

Two of the best ways are
🌻- “friends” meaning allowing horses to be with, around and touching other horses 🐎 🐎
and
🌻- “forage” meaning our horses are created for grazing and encouraging this natural behavior is what helps keeps our horses healthy and happy. 🌿🍃

🌷Happy Enrichment 🌷

02/02/2024

♥️♥️♥️Equine Enrichment !
Miss Freya loves Geranium Scent on the Scent Board !!
👃💐🌸🌻Horses and Olfactory Perception is such an interesting area to study and tap into for Enrichment & Positive Reinforcement!

Quote
“Horses could be conditioned to associate a specific odor with positive stimuli such as grooming, feeding or social comfort, and the same odor could potentially be applied during stressful or fear-eliciting situations such as trailer loading, regrouping, and social isolation.”
Website Quote SITE BELOW
Rørvang MV, Nielsen BL, McLean AN. Sensory Abilities of Horses and Their Importance for Equitation Science. Front Vet Sci. 2020 Sep 9;7:633. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00633. PMID: 33033724; PMCID: PMC7509108.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN READING MORE ABOUT “Semsory Ability of Horses..” follow this link 🙂
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7509108/

01/30/2024

🌿Holistic Horse Care / Equine Enrichment
Quote
“A vital part of healthy horse life is moving about your habitat with friends. Magical, healthy things happen with collective movement.”
Tomas G Teskey D.V.M.

We were able to witness some of this “Magical Collective Movement” on a beautiful winter Oregon sunny day with turnout of 3 equine friends!!
It’s a good Enriching Journey!! 🥰

01/30/2024

🌿 Holistic Horse Care Journey

This Quote from Dr Tomas G. Teskey D.V.M. is such a great one!!

“A more “holistic dental exam and equilibration” involves looking at the whole animal.” Tomas Teskey

As a pioneering equine enrichment facility we are excited to be learning more about approaching the horse from a “Whole…istic” View!!! ♥️

We are blessed to be part of each one of our boarders journey to their equines health, wellness & training!

The Book “INSIGHT TO EQUUS” by Tomas G. Teskey D.V.M. is becoming our go to for great info! Highly recommend!!

01/30/2024

♥️Welcome Ruby and Kayla!

🥰What a beautiful day to bring this 6month only little filly to board at the Ranch!!

🎠May this be a Grand New Adventure full of good times & sweet friendships!!

🤗We are so happy to have you as part of our Story♥️🧡♥️!! and We are blessed to be part of yours!!

01/29/2024

Equine Enrichment !
♥️♥️ It can be as simple as giving them what they love to do anyway!!

Rope Play Time!
Miss Freya!!
We love this girl!!

01/10/2024

~BareHoof Journey~
❤️FOAL TRIMMING❤️
We had the pleasure of trimming this beautiful 5 month old foal for her first trim! Just purchased by the owner and starting her new adventure in life!

🌿Holistic Horse Care~ involves the important aspect of BareHoof care & trimming starting at the earliest stage possible 🙂 !

🐎Having a trimmer that is experienced, skilled & knowledgeable about foal hooves is so important at this stage.
♥️It’s also highly important to be careful about giving the foal time to adjust to holding his hooves up and to gently hold legs as the foal has pliable developing tendons, ligaments and joints that should not be subjected to any torque.
🐎The hoof changes rapidly in this first year, not only growing in length but the ground contact surface expands outward and becomes the widest part of the hoof capsule.
♥️♥️♥️This part draft is growing quickly at 5 months old! Miss Ruby will be a joy to watch mature & change!!

01/09/2024

💚🌿 Equine Enrichment/ Holistic Horse Care~Adding an important aspect would be to …
Consider your equines need for turnout time with another equine 🐎🐎
🥰🥹🥰What a beautiful display of Equine Play we were able to watch yesterday when allowing a natural equine interaction between these two majestic equines!!

In Holistic Horse Care🌿 the importance of equine to equine interaction is so great!
✅Value this asset and try to implement it when possible by allowing your equine some turnout with an equine friend!♥️Equine Enrichment

01/09/2024

❄️🌨️❄️Winter brings along with it a great time to examine the dynamic daily needs of your horse.

Here are some tips
on ☃️Older horses needs ~ some things to consider

~Daily assessments of health
~Know how to take vital signs (Have supplies on hand to do this)
~Know your horses normal and look for any changes in behavior

✅Consider the need for having on hand
~Heated water buckets
~Warm mash (soaked hay pellets, etc)
~Vitamins, Electrolytes, Probiotics, Banamine, Emergency Kit (Just things to think about or have on hand if needed 🙂)

✅Consider the importance of…
~Dental exam (Geeting your older horses teeth checked by an experienced veterinarian to address any issues)
~Blanketing if needed (blanket size, fit & weight, waterproof if horse can access outside run)
~Visual- Pulling blankets to routinely check under them for body condition and health, checking to see if horse is warm enough or too warm 🙂
~Watching for signs of Colic and jumping into action at the first sign for the best possible outcome
~Don’t forget daily smooches of love 🩵🩵🩵
We love our Older Equine “Haven” who boards with us 🩵 and are making sure to stay on top of her daily needs by keeping in close communication with her owners and giving her the best care possible through this winter season 🥰🩵❄️🌨️☃️

01/09/2024

12/26/2023

🩵Sweet Haven! This girl is enjoying her new views!! Such a sweet face to meet when we walk into the barn!!

12/26/2023

Merry Christmas 🎄!
🐎A Barn full of the sweetest faces for Christmas! 🥰We are blessed to share our lives with wonderful Boarders and their beloved Equines!

12/19/2023

BareHoof Talk !
🤗I will never stop being amazed at how true passionate knowledgeable BareHoof trimming can correct and solve so many equine lameness issues. 🌱Along with appropriate protection boots and padding, thrush treatment, movement and California trace vitamins…. The change in just one month to our clients horse is so rewarding. 💕 !!
🌸Our Clients commitment to her horses hoof care is so amazing! We love helping our equine community and their beloved equines!! 🐎

12/14/2023

🩵Welcome Haven & Harmony! 🩵
May this be a Grand New Adventure full of good times & sweet friendships!!
🤗We are so happy to have you as part of our Story🩵!!

12/05/2023

💚Equine Enrichment💚
😉A great addition to an Equine Enrichment Program for your Horse is simply adding self grooming / scratching pads to their stalls and hang out areas.
😊This pad enriches the time an equine spends alone in their stalls by simply giving them an activity that feels good and choice & variety in their environment!
😉😊😉 Look for the pads made with softer rubber not hard plastic!

11/30/2023

Sharing a little of Our Fall Enrichment Activities:) 🪀💦🍁 Enjoy!😊

11/21/2023

Today is Hoof Care Talk!!!

🌿Whole “istic” Equine Care

🧐🤓Understanding how your horses health and the care you provide are fully intertwined 🍃 is what “Holistic Equine Care” is all about.🥰

The care you give your equine directly affects his health 🙂

With this is mind let’s take a closer look at ONE aspect of the Whole Horse~ 🪴Hoof Health 🙂

🪴Hoof Health includes trimming by your hoof care professional (or you!!) & the frequent hoof cleaning you provide. Finding someone your trust who is knowledgeable, good at what they do, experienced & passionate ❤️‍🔥 about hoof care can be challenging.
❤️❤️❤️❤️Which is why I encourage horse owners to try to educate themselves as much as they can about hoof care (up to and including possibly learning to trim themselves!!)
This is one reason we actually try to help teach owners as much as possible as we provide BareHoof care for their equines. 🔋Knowledge is a powerful tool!

Hoof Health is greatly affected by diet, movement, exercise, how your horse is trimmed or (if you put metal shoes on) , pasture footing (if it’s deep manure etc), riding terrain (rocky, sandy etc), stall & run footing, body confirmation, pre-existing changes or pathology already in the hooves, & even seasonal changes.

First let’s talk about 🌼DAILY CARE

1. Consider what are you feeding your horse.…. Yes this has so much to do with Hoof Health… Reviewing your Equines Diet …. Adequate Forage, Protein Content, Vitamins & Minerals, and more can make all the difference ! (One Hint- Deficiencies of Copper & Zinc play vital role in Poor Hoof Quality)

2. Each day take a minute to watch your horse walk & trot looking for any lameness. If your horse is off … try to find out why and address it quickly

3. Clean each hoof with a pick, paying special attention to clean the bottom of the grooves on each side of the frog

4. Visually look for any signs of thrush, shedding frog, abscess, cracks, chips

5. Treat for thrush if needed ( good to use a treatment that will not kill healthy tissue ) Address Chips with a rasp (get educated on how to do this)

6. Spray with water hose to clean any mud off in the winter and also to just add a little moisture in the summer

7. Make sure to look up the leg for any swelling, heat, tenderness, etc that could indicate a problem

8. Keep supplies on hand to treat most common problems!

Now let’s Look at Trimming

1. Keeping your horse on a schedule of trimming that’s appropriate for him ( some horses need 3 week trims, others need 8 weeks) You can ask your Trimmer what’s the best schedule and why ( some reasons for a shorter trim cycle may be the horses hooves start to flare, chip or break sooner, there may be pathology that needs addressed sooner or you are making changes to diet or exercise, adding boots or pads, etc.

2. The Sole of the Hoof should not be routinely removed with a knife as this can thin the sole and make your horse sensitive or lame (if you have a professional that routinely does this , a red flag should be raised )

3. The BareHoof Horse Trim - BASIC INFO - The Hoof Wall should be beveled around the ground contact edge at a 45 degree angle and rasped finely smooth. The wall on the outside of the hoof should not be rasped above this roll to “make the hoof look pretty” as this takes away the hoofs protective coating and actually thins and weakens the hoof wall. Sometimes giving a bullnosed look.. ( if you see your trimmer / farrier is placing the hoof up on the stand and aggressively rasping straight down on the outside hoof wall …. A red flag should go up )

4. Most changes should be made over time ( not nipping or rasping the hoof away to “make it look nice”

5. Function and Soundness or returning to soundness should be the goal of a trim (not aesthetic/ looks )

6. Hoof Boots are a great alternative for hoof protection that allows for optimal hoof expansion & growth in most cases. There are many options now available on the market.

7. Remember if you are uncertain about the Hoof Care your equine is getting or what something your Hoof Care Professional said means ……ask questions and also use any resources available to you to try to learn more about Hoof Care. Having more knowledge helps you ask the right questions and gives you the ability to choose wisely who you partner with in your equines Hoof Care Journey 🙂!

☺️🪴☺️Happy Hoof helps makes a Happy Horse! It’s a great Foundation to stand on!!!

Picture is of my mustang Ember after I gave her a fresh trim 🙂!

11/12/2023

Where are you at in your Horsemanship Journey ?
Your Life Journey?

🙂Are you embracing where you are today…..without worrying about where you’ve been or where you want to be……yet learning from past experiences & planning new goals 😉!

🍃 in order to grow or learn new skills …….maybe we need to pause and embrace the now.
📝Learning to be present may look a little different for each of us but it is such a useful skill.
😊If you aren’t sure what this means “Being Present”……. It is simply but profoundly acknowledging your current knowledge, feelings, thoughts, emotions, limitations, situation and finding your purpose.
🥰For you personally consider what could help you become more present and aware in today ;)

11/12/2023

🪴Considering the “whole horse” in how we care for and train our equines is a valuable reminder 🤗 to make sure we are doing just that!!

Hoping to review some of these areas soon in our posts! We will start with Hoof Care! Look at our next few post for info.

🤎 Silver Rein Ranch 🤎

11/04/2023

♥️Enrichment!!
A little bit of hay and a cone! When the hay is gone the cone is a safe toy and something to navigate in the stall run!
Great for young equine minds too!

11/02/2023

~Our BareHoof Program~

♥️ We love offering this to our Boarders for their beloved Equines!
⭐️💫Our goals are …. I believe unique to the horse trimming & hoof care world.. and individualized to each equine’s needs!

1. We take before & after Hoof pictures to document progress of all our trims. ~ and make notes of each trim and recommendations for in between trims.
2. We consider & discuss all aspects of equine health & care into Hoof Care.
3. We take our time to work with horses to alleviate any fears related to the trimming process.
4. We trim for optimal Hoof Growth, Soundness & Health and follow a “Responsive & Holistic BareHoof Trim”
5. We engage and involve the owners in the Hoof care & Trimming process 🙂
6. We keep up to date on hoof care education, clinics, topics, science & equine health care in general !!!
7. We are part of PHCP program & members. PHCP=Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners
8. We love Horses & Hooves!!!

You might wonder what is a “Responsive & Holistic BareHoof Trim”….. Well we’re glad you asked!!!

♥️♥️♥️♥️Keep following for the detailed answer in our next few posts!

We do not offer shoes 🚫🧲 but we do offer lots of sound education, advice, diet & vitamin discussions, balanced trims, hoof protection / booting, and lots of ♥️!

10/27/2023

~Obstacle Work~

🧐We’ve all seen on TV or at a clinic where someone is forcing their horse to try to go over a tarp…… and the horse is so fearful no learning is taking place ….. only dominance ….😞😞😞

💛We were able to take a different approach to obstacle work at Our Finding Connection Clinic 💛!!!

💝What we presented was a strategic way for you to approach an obstacle without the goal of being “to get your horse to go over or through the obstacle” InStEAd the goal was ….

1. To be 🤓 Aware of your horses expression of emotion as you approached an obstacle ……

2. To allow your horse the 🕊️freedom to express that emotion without shutting them down or forcing them through the obstacle

3. Staying below ⬇️ “Fight, Flight or Fear” Thresholds

4. Patience 😌 instead of dominance

5. Encouraging Curiosity 👀from your horse instead of applying force

6. Building Trust through Connection !!

🤗All of the horses at this Clinic were Amazing! It was so beautiful to see their owners building a bond that will last!! True Connection!

10/26/2023

💛These are two great Concepts to keep in mind while doing groundwork training with your horse.🤗

1. 🌻Balance & Bend- Helping your horse find Balance may be done by using contact (pressure) applied to the lead at the same time as non contact (your energy directed towards their barrel) with good timing ~~~but remember only after you have built a trusting relationship with your horse through “Attunement”. When your horse becomes more balanced ~~this is when Bend will be developed because the horse learns to carry himself correctly going around you🤗

2. Soft Feel ~~ Developing a give & take…. Instead of fast & solid contact, pick up slower & lightly on the lead for the ask….you want to be sensitive to the horse through your contact and you want the horse to be sensitive to you. Try not to be demanding or to quick with your cues while in the teaching phase, while your horse is still learning a particular lesson or maneuver.🤗

Ok hope this helps some of our Equine Friends!
💛”Enriching the lives of Equines and the Ones Who Love Them” here at Silver Rein Ranch💛💛💛

🥰This is my mustang Journey who was the inspiration behind starting our business 🙂!
Wendi & Journey

10/24/2023

🌻☀️ There’s something about mornings that are so special…… peaceful, newness, warmth, light, presence …..maybe it’s the opportunity to start all over again… to find a new perspective, to begin new adventures, to be thankful….
☀️ Try to take time in your morning to be present and aware. Just being…. 💛💛💛💛May you have a Blessed Beautiful Day!☀️

🥹 If you are struggling today, reach out… you’re never alone.

10/23/2023

💛💛💛 Finding Connection through being “present and aware” of yourself and helping your horse do the same really makes a huge difference in your training approach 🤗
So often we are distracted and rushed in this busy life…. So we took some time Saturday to join with other horse lovers to adventure into the world of “Attunement” Being in tune with your horse 🥰 slowing down and really listening. We got to see some great connections!!!
💛💛💛 Thought we would share a little more pictures from our beautiful day with wonderful people and their horses at our Finding Connection Clinic 💖

10/23/2023

💖 What a sweet day of Connection we had Saturday at our “Finding Connection Clinic”!!
💖We had the honor of spending such a special time with a wonderful group🤗!!
💛 Being able to connect with our horse community & share the common goal of true connection with horses was such a joy!
💛Thank You💛 to all of you who came to share this special day with us!
💛💖💛💖💛💖We loved meeting each & every one of you and getting to work with your beautiful horses!! You all are so special!!
💛💛Silver Rein Ranch💛💛
“Enriching the lives of Equines & the Ones Who Love Them”
Laura & Wendi 💖💖💖

10/20/2023

💛 A day of Finding Connection

☀️ A day begining by watching the sun rise, loading your horse in the trailer and heading out to share a meal & join in some great conversation & learning 🤗💛

💛 How often do we just get to be with our horses and other horse people and feel connected….
💛Looking forward to meeting all of our participants and their horses 🤗
💛Thank You for joining our journey💛

10/10/2023

💚 Enrichment Time💚
Fraya♥️♥️♥️