Double Barrel Creek

04/07/2025

‘Tis the season! Here the herd amongst their hair piles. 😅❤️🐴

02/17/2025

Incredible horsemanship and refreshing to watch!

01/22/2025

We love our oldies! These tips are important for the management of horses (of all ages)!

It’s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s, thanks to continuous advances in nutrition and health care.

Horse owners have a big impact as well and can help their horses thrive in their golden years through proper management practices like those illustrated in the graphic. But remember, although there is much you can do on your own to keep your older horse happy and spry, some conditions associated with aging require medical intervention.

Scheduling regular visits and keeping a good line of communication with your veterinarian will allow you to respond quickly to any ailments or injuries that could cause your horse a serious or prolonged set back. That means less worry for you, and a better quality of life for your old friend!

01/06/2025

Equitation and striving for perfection in position isn’t something that is outdated or unnecessary. Equitation was created with a purpose.

12/14/2024

12/03/2024

They keyboard trolls will always find something, lately it's the assertion that “anything that isn’t natural for a horse is bad for a horse.”

11/15/2024

Did you know that a horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation when the outside temperature drops to approximately 50°F?

As the temperatures start to drop, especially overnight, it's important to remember that cold weather prompts special considerations for your horse's diet and care. This is particularly important when it comes to the older members of the herd; consult your primary horse doctor to formulate a plan to keep your horses happy and healthy this fall and winter!

11/01/2024

10/24/2024

Happy 30th Birthday to BO! 🎉

BO is our oldest resident and thriving! We love watching him run around with his herd mates like a young steed. He is growing in a lovely thick coat as he preps for the winter and we are happy to help him maintaining such great body condition in his old age!

We take the job seriously and are thankful to BO’s mom, Margaret, for trusting us to manage his care. BO’s mom is now an official veterinarian and we can tell he is proud to have a doctor mom! They had a lovely trail ride together just a couple weeks ago. Age is but a number when you have a team with a helicopter barn manager and a vet mom, and we think BO sure looks and feels good for it! ❤️

10/16/2024

We have a rare boarding opportunity available!

We specialize in retirement and rehab board, but will consider other types of boarders as well. We are a small facility and want the perfect fit for the herd!

Here’s what we offer:
- 24 hour turnout year round except for bug season (night turnout only during the summer months). Weather permitting, of course. We won’t put horses out during ice storms or other unsafe conditions!

- Group turnout in grass pastures of various sizes, ranging from 1/2 acre to 4 acres. Pastures are rotated for horses to have enrichment and never be in the same place two days in a row. Hay in front of them 24/7 when the grass is gone or they are stuck inside!

- Access ALWAYS to clean and fresh water!

- Specialized feeding program for each horse’s individual needs.

- Indoor riding arena with dust-free footing.

- Owners on premises with eyes on horses!

- Established relationship with excellent farrier who does everything from barefoot trims to corrective shoeing.

- Established relationship with incredible equine specific vets who are always on call. We are also only 1.5 hours from Cornell and always have trailer available for emergencies!

- Mandated vaccination and deworming schedules for all horses to keep the herd protected and safe!

- Horses are checked and loved on daily! Whether the horse is ours or yours we put hands on them and are known by our herd for having the best treats and scratches in just the right spots!

- We CARE. We are not just a boarding facility. We genuinely care about each horse and we take care of more than just their physical well-being, we make sure they are taken care of emotionally as well!

Please reach out if you are interested in having your horse join our herd!

10/11/2024

Northern lights visible tonight!

09/09/2024

A beautiful sunny day with lots of wind (and the benefits of no bugs) made for a great day for the herd, barn cat included! ☀️🐴❤️

09/04/2024

Always 🖤🐴

08/21/2024

There have been multiple positive cases of EEE in NYS and other states this summer.
All of these horses that were infected were unvaccinated or undervaccinated.

EEE is transmitted by mosquitoes and is nicknamed the "sleeping sickness." It is a viral disease that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord "encephalitis."
This disease is not new to the area. Each year there are positive horses, almost every case being unvaccinated. There were 9 cases of EEE and 5 cases of west nile virus recorded in horses in 2023.

It is VERY important to make sure your horses are up to date on their core vaccinations BEFORE mosquito season. This disease is more prevalent in late summer and early fall. Horses that have been vaccinated within the last year should have adequate protection, however if it has been greater than 6 months horse can be have an additional for additional caution. There are also positive cases of West Nile in the area, but they are less fatal than EEE (up to 40%).

Symptoms include:
Anorexia + Depression
High Fever
Lethargy + Drowsiness
Acute onset of neurologic signs - ataxia, tremors of head and neck, head tilt, droopy lip, convulsions, recumbent/paralysis

There is no treatment for EEE and it has a 95% fatality rate.
Death will occur within 2-3 days of onset of clinical signs.

Prevention:
Vaccination
Mosquito control
- Removing any unnecessary standing water
- Applying fly spray liberally and frequently

Other resources:
https://www.equinediseasecc.org/eastern-equine-encephalitis
The Equine Disease Communication Center is a great resource for updates on infectious diseases.

https://aaep.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EEE_DZ_Guidelines_Final_2023.pdf
The American Association of Equine Practitioners has many client resources on different diseases and disorders.

08/15/2024

Have you ever been told to not allow a hot, sweaty horse to drink cold water because it could lead to colic, founder or tie up?

This notion is actually a myth, and a dangerous one too, because it could lead to dehydration and very serious (and real) consequences. A sweaty, hardworking horse needs to be rehydrated without delay (i.e. don’t wait for the horse to cool down first).

The key, however, is to know how much water to allow at one time — because of the equine stomach’s relatively small capacity, offer small amounts of water every 20 minutes until the horse drinks his fill rather than letting the animal drink it all at once.

Remember that water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. A horse’s daily water requirements are influenced by many factors, but the average idle 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day. That amount may easily double or triple in a hot environment! Therefore, it goes without saying that providing cool, clean water to your horses at all times is of paramount importance.

Source: Equus Magazine and AAEP member Dr. Anthony Blikslager. More information about offering a horse water can be found at https://equusmagazine.com/.../offering-a-horse-water...