Lake Oconee Equestrian Center

01/16/2025

It’s coming together!

01/11/2025

Every 15 years or so we have snow here in central Georgia (so I have been told). When our amazing team suggested to acquire LeMieux blankets for such an occasion, I was skeptical at first....but now we have dry, warm, happy horses and I am sold. They repel water like a freshly waxed car.... No, we are not commissioned for writing this, just happy we made the investment for our boarders and our lesson- and trail horses! Stay warm everybody and Happy New Year!

01/05/2025

Consulting with our horse care partners at Piedmont veterinary services and Purina, we learned a lot about the importance of clean water for our horses:
Horses can drink water with some bacteria, but water quality can impact their health:
Total bacteria count: Livestock water should have fewer than 200 bacteria per 100 ml.
Total coliform bacteria: Water should have fewer than 5 coliform bacteria per 100 ml. Water with f***l coliform bacteria should be treated before consumption.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae): Water contaminated with cyanobacteria can cause liver damage in horses. Horses should be kept away from water with a bloom and provided with another water source until the bloom dissipates.
Nitrates: Water with less than 400 mg/L of nitrate is generally safe, but water with more than 1500 mg/L may be toxic.
Minerals: Extremely high concentrations of some minerals can be toxic to livestock.

Long story short: we decided to install a commercial water filtration and disinfectant (UV light) system to not take any chances on our horses health. Happy to share more details with other barn managers or any interested horse lovers!

01/03/2025

Happy New Year! Starting the new year with a bang: indoor arena is at 85% completion and outdoor arena is finished and first lessons there started yesterday!

12/21/2024

How we keep horses on property healthy and safe:
- Industrial sized water treatment plant, including a high-power UV light (wavelength between 200-280nm) to eliminate water born bacteria and viruses
- Backup generator for the well and water treatment equipment
- Horse health and strength evaluation in collaboration with Purina and result-based adaption of supplements and feed
- Our own, harvested on property, nutrient-rich and regularly evaluated Bermuda hay
- Weekly gate and fence inspection and instant adjustments if needed
- We constantly walk the pastures and fill holes, remove low hanging branches and rotate horses through our pastures to avoid slippery mud patches in them
- Our staff is on property 24/7
- Security cameras on all access roads, trails and all around our barns
- State-of-the-art hay storage to prevent mold. Hay is stored away from any combustible materials in its own barn
- State approved facility with documented and posted emergency procedures and evacuation plans
- All new incoming horses are kept in quarantine for 2 weeks and every horse on property is up-to-date with all inoculations
- All trails are checked weekly for fallen branches, mud and slippery conditions and maintained to the highest standards with state-of-the-art equipment
- Prime stall pastures share a portion of our Bermuda hayfield
- Automated Skywalker for healthy, exercised horses

12/20/2024

We are happy about the progress on our barn #2 and the event arena structure (100x240) - completion this year. The outdoor arena is completed and just needs to be fenced in. A big thank you to our amazing staff, Eric Atkinson, Bill Bailey and their hard working construction teams and our boarders for their patience.

12/04/2024

Yesterday we spent the day with horseman Ed Dabney.

Ed Dabney is an internationally acclaimed clinician, presenting horsemanship and riding clinics in many areas of the US and in Europe. Ed's blending of natural horsemanship and classical equitation has made an indelible mark with students across the United States and now also in Europe, drawing the attention of serious riders searching for the lightest touch and the deepest connection with their horses irrespective of breed or discipline.

We learned so much throughout the morning . Focusing on the six keys .
The first focus was gaining your horse's attention and preparing him for riding . The intended purpose of the longeing time is much more productive and stimulating for the horse by spending this same time practicing a few specific ground exercises as your "pre-ride safety checklist". The best ground exercises are those which ask your horse to use all parts of his body including his mind, move in specific ways (backward, forward, left and right from the hind and front and side-ways). Your ground exercises should also be used to review the same cues you will use in the saddle to ask for all the basic speed and direction control maneuvers. We are proud to continue our education here at Lake Oconee Equestrian Center and offer this education to our guest and boarders .

12/04/2024

12/01/2024

Making progress on our journey to a grid independent , carbon neutral, world-class horse facility. Good for the environment and for our pastures, our new, all electric UTV has a turf mode to prevent grass damage. We are charging it with solar, renewable energy.

11/22/2024

It’s getting real: our hay barn is coming together - and arena foundation is poured….

11/21/2024

A game changer for our barn just arrived: clearing all pastures motorized and it even picks up leafs and goose poop….no more manure on the pastures translates into less flies and potentially reduced or eliminated need for de-worming. Healthier pastures = healthier horses. Clearing one acre can be done in as little as 10 minutes and it holds 7 wheelbarrows of manure….

11/05/2024

On our journey to becoming one of the most sustainable horse facilities in the country, our sustainability platform, Vivid Leaf suggested that we provide EV charging stations, powered by solar….so our members and guests can charge their vehicles for free! Done.

10/23/2024

We believe neither horses nor riders should long for anything while on our property. That’s why we clean all appliances daily and keep them stocked. Whether it’s a freshly made cappuccino or mocha - we have it for our guests and members. And our amazing chef is looking forward to cooking for you at your next event!

10/20/2024

We often get the question: “why does your team spend so much time on trail cleanup”? For one: they look better - which matches our concept of exceptional membership experiences. Also, piles of dead wood attract critters and horses are much more relaxed when they have good visibility - and no surprise animals jumping out of the woods in front of them. So, by staying on top of our trail conditions, we create a safer environment for horses and riders.

10/18/2024

Trails update! Today is a big day for our trail riders here at the Lake Oconee Equestrian Center: we added the brand new “River Cruise” trail (pictured) and connected it to the “Hilly Willy” trail, a longtime rider’s favorite. This adds almost 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) to our already extensive trail system. Come join us for a ride!