Miller Barn

07/26/2024

Due to the extreme temperatures, we will postpone Tack's Fifth Avenue until September. Thank you in advance for understanding!

06/22/2024

06/22/2024

"Wondering if you should get her that pony, wonder no more!

Riding families have always known horses are good for kids, but now research is proving it. One study, sponsored by the American Youth Horse Council, found that equestrian activities do indeed enhance a range of life skills in children.

The study looked at youngsters involved in 4-H, Pony Club, the American Quarter Horse Youth Association, or the National High School Rodeo Association in one eastern and one western state. Results of the study, published in February 2006, found a significant positive relationship between horsemanship skills and life skills.

If your child likes animals and you’re concerned about that child’s problem solving, goal-setting, or decision-making skills, then definitely get him or her involved with horses."

Written by Ann Swinker, Ph.D. - professor in Animal Science at Penn State University and one of the study’s co-authors.
Photo by Larson Performance Horses

06/22/2024

For every individual that wants to be an equine professional out there... Grab a broom. Understanding that both not every need of you is always being on top of a horse, and learning that there is no job beneath you, are crucial if you want to make it in this business.

For every kid that loves horses and is blessed to ride or take lessons, push a broom. It shows you are learning humility in this sport, and that you see past just taking a selfie with your horse or just posting your latest riding video on TikTok. Care for every aspect of the sport and needs around the barn shows more traits of a horsewoman than social media likes. Plus, it is a great way to build more muscle and be a better rider for your horse.

Showing love and pride in your sport, your horse, your facility, and your barn family looks like pushing a broom.

04/07/2024

Absolutely!! ☺️☺️☺️

04/07/2024

04/07/2024

Never done buying horses.

12/16/2023

So true 🤣

10/26/2023

10/22/2023

09/12/2023

08/25/2023

Most people would agree that taking horse riding lessons would improve your ability to ride a horse overall, but what about some of the other reasons lessons can be so positive? Today we’re delving into a question I often hear: Are horse riding lessons truly worth the investment? Let’s dive into...

08/12/2023

“Parents, let your daughters grow up to be horse girls, because they will learn quickly and repeatedly that life isn’t fair, that hard work is often trumped by Lady Luck, and that every defeat, no matter how terrible, is temporary. Let them dream big and kick on. Let them learn confidence, grace and grit. Let them build big muscles and strong backs.

Let your daughters grow up in the barn. Let them learn that buckets need filling and stalls need cleaning, even when it’s raining, even when it’s frozen, even when they have a different idea for how the day should go.

Let them set goals and reach them. Let them set goals and fail miserably. Let them learn that, if they work incredibly hard, practice like hell, ride the best quality horse they can and take impeccable care of him, they’re sometimes going to get beat by someone with 10 times the money and one tenth the drive.

Teach them to drive trucks and trailers and ATVs. Teach them to change tires and wrap legs and give shots. And let them leave a spur mark, or a bit rub, or a bandage bow, and let them deal with the shame of causing pain to an animal they love.

Let them grow up with horses and with good horse people, because it will teach them to be humble, and to be resilient, and to be brave.”

08/01/2023

Master wrapping your horse’s legs with advice from industry experts Tasha Welsh and Amy Armentrout, DVM, and follow along with the how-to videos. Follow along with the how-to videos here:

07/26/2023

What’s your reason for not wearing a helmet?

Whatever your reason is, it won’t feel like a good enough reason the day you have an accident like this. Not to you, and not to your loved ones.

Wear a helmet. Every. Single. Ride.

07/21/2023

If you give your child a pony, they will want to ride. You’ll buy them the best pony you can find, followed by a hat, boots and all the other things pony.

You look for a local stables to ride at where you start to socialise with the horsey community...and then life as you know it, will end.

Before you know it, they want to go to shows so you join BS …there will be no more lazy weekends watching TV. You will see more sunrises than you ever thought possible.

Every spare minute of your time will be spent driving horseboxes and enduring a crazy addiction to practice for the next show.

Your house may be a mess, and your car will be dirty. All because you gave your child a pony. Your weekends will be spent freezing or burning to death on a fold up chair. And their weekends will be spent gaining confidence and friends, learning new skills and having fun and getting dirty!!!!

You will be there the day he or she takes the first few steps of canter, the first taste of a jump, first rosette, first win. And they will make you SO proud. Other parents will congratulate you, but you feel weird saying thank you because it's not you on the pony, it’s your child. It's everything that they did, they achieved. And right before your eyes, your little boy/girl will be transformed from the baby who bounced around on their rocking horse into an exceptional young horse enthusiast on the hunt for the next HOYS ticket or maybe even the Olympics!

When you give your child a pony, you give them more than just something to ride. You give them a sport, a talent, hope and dreams. Friends, a new family, a place to learn about life, room to grow as a person where they can push their limits, and bravery, and courage, and memories. And they will have ALL of these things, simply because you gave your child a pony.

Because you gave your child a pony, you too will develop new/lifelong friendships, developed solely from the same passion for the sport. You will have an equestrian family because you gave your child a pony.

Then one day, many years from today…they will be in their room and a certain trophy will catch their eye. And they will pick it up and realise instantly that when you gave them a pony, you also gave them a childhood that they would never forget. At this point, you realise that everything you gave up along the way and sacrificed was totally worth it…..

All because you gave your child a pony...

Author unknown

10/24/2022

10 things veterinarians want horse owners to know about Banamine.
1)Banamine is a brand name. Flunixin meglumine is the drug name but many people refer to it by the popular brand name “Banamine” made by Merck. This medication is available in injectable liquid and oral paste formulations.
2)Flunixin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can be shortened to “NSAID.” NSAIDs reduce inflammation, pain, and fever by decreasing certain biochemical reactions in the body. Other drugs that are also classified as NSAIDs include phenylbutazone (Bute), firocoxib (Equioxx®, Previcoxx®).
3)Flunixin treats pain. By far the most common implication for the use of flunixin in horses is analgesia, or pain control. Flunixin provides good pain control for visceral (in the belly) and ocular (eye) pain. It is often used in cases of colic (abdominal pain) to make the horse more comfortable which reduces the risk of harm to the horse and handlers. It is important to note that flunixin does not cure the cause of colic; it temporarily relieves signs by providing pain relief.
4)Flunixin can reduce fever. A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5 and 100.9°F. Like humans, horses can develop a fever secondary to an infection or illness. Many febrile horses will not eat or drink well when they have a fever but their appetite improves once the fever decreases. Flunixin can be used to reduce the horse's temperature often making them feel better. On a cautionary note, we often recommend owners take a temperature BEFORE giving flunixin as this can also a mask a fever.
5)Flunixin lasts 12 hours in the horse’s body. Some owners with a sick horse give a full dose of flunixin and then redose the horse a few hours later when he/she became uncomfortable again. This practice is not recommended for two reasons. First, overdosing can increase the risk of adverse effects including kidney damage and gastric ulcers. Second, if a horse's clinical signs do not resolve with a full dose, an examination by your veterinarian is likely warranted sooner rather than later and administering a second dose may delay treatment.
6)Flunixin can cause gastrointestinal and kidney damage. The same pathways that are down-regulated by flunixin to reduce pain and inflammation also partially protect the kidneys and stomach. At a normal dose the risk of these side effects is reduced. However, patients treated with an overdose or long term dosing are at an increased risk for renal (kidney) damage, gastric ulcers, and hind gut (colon) ulcers .
7)“Stacking” NSAIDs is not recommended. As previously stated, other drugs commonly used in horses that are also classified as NSAIDs include bute, Equioxx and Previcoxx). It is important to note that giving either of these medications together or in combination with flunixin can cause the same adverse effects as overdosing. For this reason,we do not recommend “stacking” NSAIDs or administering two of these drugs together. Many geriatric patients receive Equioxx or Previcoxx daily for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. If this is the case, we recommend discontinuing that medication before starting another NSAID an allowing enough time for the body to clear the first drug completely.
8)Flunixin does not cause sedation or cure colic. Although we often use flunixin in colic cases, it is for the purpose of pain control. Alleviating the signs of colic by controlling pain is safer for the horse and handler when a horse is being treated and gives the horse’s body time to respond to treatment (ie oral fluids, IV fluids, motility agents). We often recommend removing hay/grain from a horse that has been administered flunixin for signs of colic until he/she can be examined by a veterinarian. In some cases, once the horse FEELS better he/she will try to continue eating and make the colic worse. If you think your horse may be colicking, we recommend calling your regular veterinarian and following her/his recommendations on medications and feeding.
9)Flunixin should NOT be given in the muscle (IM). Oddly enough, Banamine is still labeled for IM use in horses on the bottle but I strongly recommend against this practice. In rare cases, IM administration of flunixin (or phenylbutazone) has been known to cause a secondary condition called “Clostridial myositis” which can be fatal. The medication irritates the surrounding muscle tissue and bacterial spores can take advantage of the inflamed environment and cause a massive release of toxins. This disease is extremely painful and the treatment can be quite gruesome but horses that are not diagnosed and treated promptly may die from toxic overload. For this reason, we recommend only injecting flunixin in the vein (IV) or squirting the injectable fluid or paste in the mouth.
10)Flunixin injectable solution can be administered by mouth. The injectable formulation of flunixin can be administered by mouth at the same dose as IV use. Oral administration (either injectable solution or paste) takes about 20-30 min to reach full effect compared to 5-10 min with an IV injection. Oral administration does not take significantly longer than IM injection to reach peak absorption and is much safer for the horse.
Lastly always call your veterinarian if you suspect your horse appears off in any way before administering any medication.

08/12/2022

Horses teach us. We think we are their trainers, but they can make us better if we listen to them 🙌🏼 Patience, pressure, and perseverance go both ways. We as horsemen and women learn how to navigate through life by finding the balance of these three words. It’s not about forcing anything, it’s about finding the answers with time.. be patient. Apply pressure to yourself as much as you do to the situation, but remember it takes patience to achieve anything fulfilling. You can persevere through the tough times, and when you get rewarded, great or small, ease up on the pressure. And then try again… ♥️

08/07/2022

💕

06/14/2022

05/17/2022

Being a teenage girl isn't easy! Horses are a way to help them focus on the right things in life. There's something special about the bond between...

01/15/2022

They don’t care.

That’s how I explain horses to potential new owners who inquire with me for advice. I don’t ever want to discourage someone from the adventure of owning horses. But I feel it is my responsibility as a horse woman to look out for their future horses by giving them the harsh reality.

They don’t care if you’re sick.
They don’t care if it’s 0 degrees
They don’t care if you don’t have the money this month.
They don’t care if you’re tired.
They don’t care if you had other plans.
They don’t care if it’s the holidays.
They don’t care if you’re at work.
They don’t care if it’s the middle of the night.

They depend on you. They need fed, every day multiple times a day. They need their stalls cleaned / turned out, every day. They need you to bust ice on freezing days, and bring extra water on hot ones. They need you to care for them when they’re sick, and they are FRAGILE. Seriously, they spend 75% of their life trying to die and vet bills are expensive.

But, it will be your greatest adventure. The right horse will care about you. They will care for you on days you need it most.

So, take lessons, come over and hang out with your horse friends for a day, volunteer to help them out. Make sure it’s something you want to commit to because they didn’t ask to be in your care.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

- Deahanna Raynes

09/26/2021

I DID NOT KNOW... by Alissa Kelly

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know. ❤️❤️

Artist: Charlie Mackesy

06/04/2021

One of my non-horsey friends (I know strangely enough they really do exist) came to stay recently and couldn’t believe the way my horses were…

04/23/2021

To the girl.
To the girl who falls in the cracks at the races she runs in.
To the girl who buys young horses because that’s what she can afford.
To the girl who pulls up in a beat up truck and trailer.
To the girl who trains at 5am or 10pm before work.
To the girl who puts every dime back into her horses and has the bare necessities herself.
To the girl who is looked down on for not having or buying a finished horse.
I see you.
Your time is coming.
You’ll start landing in the money because of your hard work and long hours making sure everything was perfect.
You’ll have some wicked horses running when they come of age, because you went for the horses you could afford, but didn’t sacrifice potential.
Your truck and trailer gets you to and from safely, what you pull out of that trailer will blow everyone away, bred proud of it.
Your hard work and dedication will set you up for success, and you’ll see that shine.
You treating your horses like athletes with every dime you can will set them up for the future you want them to have, and make it so they’re able to do it.
You are training and raising horses that people will be chasing after, before you know it.
I see you chasing your dreams with what YOU have.
Your time is coming.
To the girl who buys finished horses.
To the girl who puts in hours of riding to get with these horses, day after day to click with them.
To the girl who has the big rig pulling into races.
To the girl landing checks often.
To the girl who spends her days with her horses to make sure you’re together on every level.
To the girl who gets looked down on for being able to buy these finished horses.
I see you.
Your time is coming.
You buying these horses helps trainers chase their dreams as much as it helps you chase yours.
Your hours of work to get with these horses shows in the arena. It’s not easy to get with horses you didn’t train.
You have worked hard for that rig, and you should be proud pulling up in it.
Your work shows when you land a check with that beautiful run you had.
I see both of you.
You are both vital parts of our industry.
You are both important.