Stone Ridge Equine Care

02/14/2025

FOAL FRIDAY!

Our next featured baby is owned by Nathan Jones! This is a beautiful filly out of Dual Serenade and Spooks Gotta Whiz.

Help us congratulate Nathan on this stunning little lady.

02/14/2025

Fun Fact for Valentine's Day!

We often say our horses have a lot of 'heart' when they try their best for us and perform well.
Did you know: The average horse's heart weighs 9-10 pounds! The heart is a muscle and like other muscles, will grow as it is used. Secretariat's heart was measured at about 22 pounds! What an athlete!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you and your Heart Horses!
Source: Steinbeck Equine and horseyhooves.com
Photo cred: Dr Robin Peterson https://thehorse.com/185220/a-quick-look-at-the-amazing-equine-heart/

02/12/2025

Many of you remember Dr. Huffman that was with us. She is presenting TONIGHT on foaling 101 at 8pm est/7 cst!

It's free! All you have to do is register and a link will be sent to you so you can tune in! See below for more details.

02/11/2025

Tech Tip Tuesday!

DID YOU KNOW??

A mare's heat cycle is every 21 days from ovulation to ovulation. They do not cycle all year long! A mare's natural cycling period is typically from April to October but we can alter her beginning cycle time by exposing her to light! Mares that we want to cycle earlier in the year can be exposed to light that is added to the end of the day according to recent studies. This gives a total of 16 hours to extend daylight hours mimicking the longer days during the warmer months. It tricks the brain into thinking it is a month she should be cycling. When exposed to light each evening, the mare will start to cycle after 60 days or so. By doing this, we are able to start breeding mares around February depending on stallion availability. For mares that cannot be stalled in order to be exposed to light do have the opportunity to wear a device called an Equilume which shines a light in the eye creating the same effect on the brain.

Photo cred: https://equilume.com/us/product/equilume-pro-light-mask/

02/07/2025

Here's another Foal Friday!

Congratulations to Jack Logsdon on his beautiful filly out of Dual Reyish and Sweetest Lil Cat.

Check out this adorable little filly!!

02/06/2025

It has sure been a bitter-sweet day for Dr. Stone!

Today is his LAST DAY at Stone Ridge Equine Care.

He has been showered with many gifts, cards, sweets and meals by several amazing clients lately! Thank you to Alyssa Kennedy, Krista Moe, Tammy Adams, and Bonnie Small for all the goodies this week. 🍰🧁🎂🎁 He has enjoyed all of the yummy treats!!

From his staff: We will sure miss you, Doc! We wish you a wonderful retirement and hope you enjoy every minute of it! Thank you for all you have done for us and your many clients! I know the horses (and Pearl 🐱) will miss you as well. Come visit us soon and stay in touch!

02/04/2025

Tech Tip Tuesday!

Who's up for some foaling facts for the month of February!?
We are in full swing with mares foaling and breeding! Here are some interesting tid-bits about equine reproduction:

🐎A mare's gestation lasts about 340 days but they rarely give birth on their due date!
🐎Foals are born with a rubbery, soft coating on their hooves which protect the birth canal. This cushion is called eponychium. (see picture) Some people call them "Foal Feathers".
🐎Mares give birth and then turn right around in 7-14 days and can be bred again! That's fast!
🐎Horses are prey animals so they need to be able to get up and run from predators in the wild. A foal will typically stand within an hour of delivery!
🐎Horses typically have 1 foal but twins can happen. Multiple babies puts the mare and foals at risk for major complications.
🐎Most mares will foal during the night time/early morning hours.

Have you ever witnessed a horse birth?? We would love to see your foals!

01/30/2025

ATTENTION!

Please excuse our staff for a short time today as we finally are able to have our Christmas Party! We had to reschedule it a few times due to weather. We are so excited to get to share this time together!

If you need to reach us for an emergency, please call the office and it will prompt you accordingly. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will be back to the office as soon as the party is over (noon to 2pm CST).

Thank you for your patience!

01/28/2025

Tech Tip Tuesday!

What's the difference between Bute, Banamine and Equioxx (Previcoxx/Firocoxib)??

Which one to use and when?

Well this is a great topic as many of our horse friends require some sort of pain medication at some point in their lives.

Banamine is the common name for Flunixin Meglumine. It is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. It is designed to treat swelling, fever and inflammation. It is most often given for soft tissue pain such as for colic or other soft tissue injuries. It is available in an injectable (INTRAVENOUS USE ONLY, NEVER IN THE MUSCLE) and oral form.

Bute or Phenylbutazone is also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that is designed to be used more for musculoskeletal pain in horses by reducing pain and inflammation. It is available in a powder, paste, tablets and injectable. It is typically given for only a few days at a time due to its increased risk to cause gastric upset.

Previcoxx is also known as Equioxx or Firocoxib. This medication is also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. It is set apart from the other medications due to its ability to block COX 2 which is part of the pain cascade and giving it less adverse effects. It's goal is to control pain and inflammation in horses with osteoarthritis. It is available in a paste and a tablet and can be given for a longer period than Bute or Banamine.

Please consult us if you think your horse requires pain medication so we can prescribe the appropriate medication, dose, route and duration. Not all medications can be given with other medications and may cause adverse effects.

01/24/2025

Happy Foal Friday everyone!
Meet the adorable new addition we had this week! - She happens to be the first foal out of Chinchilla Day and Princess Rocket. Look at that sweet face! 🐴💕

01/24/2025

We have had a lot of interest in First Aid Kits so we thought we would repost this list from August about some kit ideas!

Are you prepared for an emergency with your horse? A first aid kit is essential to horse ownership. Here are some things to keep in your kit (but not limited to). Having a good relationship with your veterinarian is important to receiving emergency care and having medications and supplies on hand. One option for storing your first aid kit is a tool box or a plastic tote. Both will help keep your products clean and also easy to grab and go.

Items you might consider keeping:
🐴emergency phone numbers
🐴note card with normal horse rates (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature)
🐴head lamp
🐴flash light and spare batteries
🐴bandage scissors
🐴vetrap
🐴duct tape
🐴a diaper
🐴blood stop powder
🐴roll gauze
🐴cotton combine
🐴polo wraps with quilts
🐴spare halter and cotton lead rope
🐴stethoscope
🐴thermometer
🐴Banamine
🐴tourniquet
🐴clean towel
🐴a clean bucket
🐴exam gloves
🐴trash bag
🐴iodine/betadine
🐴wound ointments
🐴needles and syringes
🐴hoof pick
🐴sharp knife
🐴cold pack
🐴sterile saline
🐴clippers
🐴tweezers
🐴liniments
🐴epsom salt

01/21/2025

Tech Tip Tuesday!

Not all horses can or even should have peppermints. WHY NOT?
Some horses have a condition called Insulin Resistance. This can be diagnosed with some simple bloodwork. Insulin Resistance is where the body is not able to process sugars like in peppermints correctly. Normally a peppermint candy is broken down into glucose in the small intestine and the body releases insulin to allow those glucose molecules to be absorbed into the cells correctly. A horse with IR will produce too much insulin which can put the horse at risk for laminitis/founder.

If you are concerned your horse might be Insulin Resistant, give us a call today! We would be happy to get you taken care of.

To learn more and photo cred:

Horses with certain health conditions should skip sweet treats. Find out if your horse is one.

01/20/2025

Thank you Zach for 5 years of hard work and dedication to Stone Ridge Equine Care! You are a very important part of the team and we appreciate all you do! We look forward to another spring foaling season with your help!

01/18/2025

After years of dedicated service and compassionate care, Dr. Stone has announced his upcoming retirement on February 8th, 2025. Dr. Stone has been an integral part of Stone Ridge Equine Care since its beginning, providing exceptional care to countless patients and building lasting relationships with many of you.

With Dr. Stone’s retirement, Dr. Staley will be working more than full time as the sole doctor to continue to provide the level of care Stone Ridge Equine Care has always been known for. However, Dr. Staley is only one person and will also be taking care of the full barn of mares and foals that we have January - August, along with her full schedule of regular appointments. We are diligently working to hire an additional vet and have been for a couple years. Unfortunately, the equine vet shortage is at an all-time high. It is important to us that we provide the best care to every horse in need. In order to do this with one veterinarian, we will need to implement a few small changes as of February 1st, 2025.

1. Our licensed veterinary nurse, Tia Tuttle, will be working directly with Dr. Staley during appointments. Most of you know Tia, as she has been working for Stone Ridge Equine Care for 11 years. She has owned horses her entire life and is a registered veterinary nurse in Indiana. Tia will be scheduling tech appointments to assist Dr. Staley with vaccines, lab work, teeth floats, post-surgery follow ups, and mare and foal care. Having Tia available to schedule tech appointments, will allow clients to book appointments sooner.

2. We will continue to offer 24/7 after hour emergency
consultations. All emergency calls will be answered by a licensed veterinary nurse, who will be able to talk you through most emergency situations and give doctor recommended advise. In order to be prepared for an equine emergency and help prevent one, we recommend having a basic first aid kit with basic medications on hand. We are happy to help you with creating an emergency kit if you are interested. In addition, having a horse trailer or having a reliable hauler with a trailer available when needed can ease your stress when an emergency is pending. There are very few emergencies that cannot be hauled.

3. Farm calls will still be available for appointments that include 5 or more horses. It has been shown that veterinarians that practice out of a clinic can render care to 2-4 times more horses in a day than strictly ambulatory vets. If hauling into the clinic is not an option, we encourage you to check with your neighbors for any services they may need and schedule a call at one central location.

As we celebrate Dr. Stone’s remarkable career and contributions, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the trust and support you have shown throughout the years. While Dr. Stone will be greatly missed, our commitment to providing exceptional care to our clients and their horses is very important to us. We want to provide the best care and be as available as we physically and realistically can be. We appreciate your understanding as we implement these small changes. Please call us with any questions or concerns and join us in wishing Dr. Stone a fulfilling and well-deserved retirement.

Send a message to learn more

01/18/2025

To my loyal clients,

I have spent the last 38 years providing Equine Veterinary Services to the Tri State area and beyond. It is with careful consideration that I have decided to retire from Stone Ridge Equine Care LLC on February 8, 2025. First of all, I would like to thank my wife, Linda, and daughters, Lauren and Kailyn, for helping me build this practice, and always supporting me even when my career took so much time away from my family. I have been blessed with a rewarding profession and have enjoyed the opportunity to work on many wonderful horses and work with so many caring and loyal clients. Thank you for trusting me with the veterinary care of your horses. Over the years I have had the best support staff and am forever grateful to them for always going above and beyond to provide the best care we could to each patient.
Stone Ridge Equine Care LLC will continue to provide veterinary services under the direction of Dr. Brooke Staley. I am confident in her skills, knowledge, and experience. She will have my full support as she continues the practice of quality patient care for Stone Ridge Equine Care LLC.

Warmest Regards,
Dr. R.H. Stone III

Send a message to learn more

01/18/2025

Happy Foal Friday! This little girl proved us wrong. We thought the pinto a couple weeks ago would be our smallest of the year, but this little sweetie is even smaller! Congratulations again to Kerri Postletheweight on another adorable miniature! What do you all think of that Ariat jacket!? 🥰

01/16/2025

Is your horse still needing a dental exam or vaccinations?

🐎IT'S NOT TOO LATE!🐎

For the rest of the month, we are offering FREE sedation for haul in dental appointments and a FREE f***l exam for recommended vaccine haul in appointments!

That's a huge savings especially if you have several horses needing care! Call us today to get scheduled before all of our spots fill up. We would love to see you!

01/14/2025

Tech Tip Tuesday!

Did you know that when horses curl their lip up and show their teeth, that actually has a name? It's called the Flehmen Response. It not only looks silly but actually serves a purpose. The goal is to send hormones and pheromones into the vomeronasal organ. It is most often done by stallions when sniffing a mare to detect heat cycles. They will smell, raise their head, curl their lip and might even have a small amount of nasal secretion.

Have you seen your horse do this?

Photo credit to Thehorse.com
https://thehorse.com/112404/what-is-a-flehmen-response/