Silver Quarter Acres

08/04/2024

Stayin salty!

07/25/2024

Where to Watch Equestrian Events – Olympics 2024 | Equine Chronicle

First, let’s get the Equestrian events addressed, since that’s primarily what is on most of our minds! Find the schedule and the ways of viewing Equestrian coverage this way:

07/16/2024

We just added a bunch of new concrete flooring to the horse barn. The horses demanded a sturdier dance floor for their midnight raves!

07/13/2024

Even after a full pot of coffee, we're still dragging in the morning....
& ❤'n it

12/10/2023

While steeped in tradition, feeding bran mashes can cause GI distress in horses. Learn why, and discover alternatives.

09/18/2023

BOARDING COMING AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1st

08/08/2023

07/18/2023

Sometimes, Horses just die.
This beautiful piece was penned by new HWH board member and physician, Beth Jensen in response to a recent passing at the farm. A privately owned horse named Audi passed at University of Florida after what appeared to be a minor injury leaving everyone involved in shock. Her words beautifully explain the loss that we all feel when we have to say goodbye.

Please take a moment to read this beautiful piece.

“Life and Death in the Hospital, Life and Death on the Horse Farm.

The phone rings in the middle of the night. This can't be good. I force open my eyes and groggily mumble into the phone. The floor nurse responds, "I am so sorry, doctor, we lost him…"

This was common, even expected, during my medical residency. I had trained for this. Part of taking care of the sick is knowing some will not live. I learned how to break the news with compassion to family members and guard my heart against the tragedies that unfolded almost daily in front of me. I was prepared.

Last night a similar scene played out on the horse farm where my son is a working student. A horse had been injured and taken to surgery. He had been recovering well. But then, in the dark hour just before the sun rose, while all the other horses slept safely in their stalls or dew-covered fields, before the first stirrings of morning chores, the phone rang….

Everyone in the barn is devastated by the sharp pain of acute loss. Sorrow hangs heavy in the air as gentle sobs can be heard from the tack room, and the shovel strikes the barn floor just a little more sharply than usual. The barn dog treads lightly with her head slanted downward, unsure why all the people around her no longer have joy in their steps as they turn the horses out to pasture. And I am left to wonder why this is so very different from a hospital's clinical, almost cold death scene.

From the start, I was taught to stay emotionally distant from my patients. Never treat family or friends. Remain objective, make clear, unemotional, scientific decisions. Keep a clear head and protect myself emotionally. Horse trainers are taught the opposite. They need to connect with the horse physically, emotionally, and mentally. Horse and rider need to function as a team with movements so unified that it is hard to tell one from the other. The trainer relies on the hundreds of hours spent with each horse to pick up on subtle changes in movement and behavior that indicate an emerging problem or lead to a spectacular ride in the show ring. There is no emotional detachment. The pair depends on connection, trust, and an emotional bond- and yes, love. And so it was with the horse that died last night. Even those only peripherally involved in his care had spent many hours in close contact with him, feeding, grooming, and building a bond. There is no professional distancing, no chance of remaining objective. The only choice is to get close to the animal, so close that it puts your heart at risk of breaking. So the phone rings and the heart breaks.

The grief of losing a beloved companion still does not account for the whole of the emotions that are as thick as the hay dust settling on the barn railings and as oppressive as the mid-afternoon sun. The additional burden is knowing the horse depended utterly on his human companions to care for and keep him safe. Ultimately, people make their own decisions and usually care for themselves in the safety of their own homes. Doctors do not shoulder the entire burden of an individual's care. In contrast, a horse trainer is responsible for every aspect of the horse's well-being and safety every minute of the day. Horses can't judge the danger for themselves. They spook and jump over (or through) fences, they can lie down and get stuck (cast) in the stall, or get hurt in all manner of ways, even when the conditions for their safety are optimal. So when tragedy strikes, the trainer, who did everything right, is left wondering what else could have been done, mingling guilt with insurmountable grief. It is a considerable burden to bear.

And adding to that, a horse cannot tell you what he wants. He cannot consent to surgery or discuss alternatives. A young mare cannot tell her new foal how much she loves him one last time. An aging stallion cannot tell his people that the pain is too much and it is time to let him go. As a doctor, these discussions and living wills guide me. The people who know and love these horses make these hard decisions by reading the degree of fear and pain they see in their horse's eyes, guided by years of experience and expert veterinary advice. They hope to convey their love to their horse, comfort the animal, and let the suffering creature know they are trying to help. If they know the end is near, they stand vigil with the horse, cradling her head in their arms, stroking her mane. They hope the horse will know comfort and love during her last breaths. But that is not what happened with the horse that died last night. He was recovering well at the university hospital, eating and drinking. He looked fine at his last check less than an hour before he died. No one was with him when he passed. Those who loved him most did not get to say goodbye. The pain and grief of all who knew the magnificent horse, young promising life cut tragically short, is again multiplied.

The generous, loving hearts of the equestrians who loved him have been devastatingly broken. And they know it will happen again. Each secretly steals an extra moment with their favorite horse on this day. Their favorite, what equestrians call their "heart horse," the horse that has captured the love of his rider above all other horses. Each rider silently slips their heart horse an extra treat and gives her an extra pat, knowing they will someday lose the equine love of a lifetime. All except the young woman who lost her heart horse in the darkest hours before the dawn.

Author's note: I have repeatedly said I am not a horse person. However, the tears I have shed today learning of the loss of a young, beautiful, talented horse whose life was cut short by a tragic accident might suggest that it is changing. I will never be an equestrian, but I might become my own version of a horse person. “

Thank you Beth! We are humbled and honored to have you as part of the Horses Without Humans Rescue Organization team!

06/18/2023

Perform trot-ups on both flat and sloped surfaces to fully understand a horse’s lameness.

06/13/2023

https://www.facebook.com/1559634394/posts/10230078042885987/?mibextid=DcJ9fc

03/23/2023

Find out how your horse’s diet could support shedding and his incoming summer coat.

03/03/2023

A client recently asked me if they should be using boots or polos on their horse. Many horse owners have the best intention in using boots or wraps to protect their horses legs from trauma during exercise and competitions. But many don’t realize that boots can essentially insulate the distal limb and prevent heat loss during exercise leading to increased temperatures that can reach damaging levels during maximal exertion.

A study from Middle Tennessee State University measured temperature increase during a specified exercise protocol with different types of leg protection. The study found that the reduced rate of heat dissipation a boot can cause can be detrimental to the superficial digital flexor tendon. They tested six different types of boots or wraps during exercise: a traditional neoprene boot, a perforated neoprene boot, a plant-based neoprene boot made of Stomatex, a cross-country boot, an elastic track bandage, and a fleece polo wrap.

The study found that the bare limb had the lowest temperature, all treatment temperatures were greater than the bare limb across all time points. The fleece polo wrap had the highest temperature and humidity. None of the treated limbs returned to baseline temperature and humidity after the 180-minute recovery period, and all treated limbs reached temperatures that negatively affect tendon cells. The study suggests that the use of boots and wraps during exercise impairs convection cooling, causing chronic microdamage to the tendon.

Riders must weigh the pros and cons, considering boot design, application and material permeability. No matter what boot you choose, the best way to protect your horse is to remove it immediately after exercises and stand your horse in an ice bath.
Ps. (Cold hosing and ice boots aren’t even half as effective. We can chat about that about that research in a future post ;))

L. Brock, H. Spooner, 28 A comparison among equine boots and legwraps on leg surface temperature during and after exercise,
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 100. 2021

02/11/2023

https://fb.watch/iDiboa5Inj/?mibextid=tejx2t

01/26/2023

01/06/2023

Temporomandibular joint inflammation might be an overlooked cause of poor equine performance.

01/02/2023

10 handy facts about lameness

1. A forelimb lameness is identified by looking for the head nod. The head will go up when the lame limb hits the ground and down when the sound limb hits the ground. It is easier to notice the 'head nod', therefore when the head nods, it is the opposite leg that is lame.

2. Check for heat and a pulse. Inflammation brings blood to the area.

3. A horse with arthritic wear and tear (common in older horses), will often get better as he goes, which is known as 'warming out of it'. The lameness will usually be less obvious after a few minutes. Additionally he will often be worse on hard ground (tarmac) in comparison to the ménage. This is due to more concussion on his joints.

4. A horse with soft tissue damage will often get worse as he goes and is often lamer on a soft surface (ménage), as the tissue such as an affected tendon or ligament is being stretched more than it would be on a hard surface with no give.

5. A horse with bilateral forelimb lameness will be harder to detect as the head nod will now be apparent when both limbs hit the ground. However he will show a shorter cranial phase (his forelimbs will not come out very far from underneath him resulting in a 'choppy' gait).

6. If you are struggling to detect lameness get the Slo-Pro app for your mobile phone and record your horse. This will slow everything down until you train your eye into detecting lameness.

7. A hind limb lameness is more difficult to detect. If you watch the horse trotting away from you, the lame leg usually has more movement at the hip. It helps to attach white sticky tape to both hip bones to make this more obvious to the eye.

8. Putting a horse on a circle (lungeing), often shows up a forelimb and hindlimb lameness more easily.

9. If the horse looks lame on one limb, but has a stronger pulse in the opposite limb, it is usually because the sound limb has taken more weight to allow pressure relief of the affected limb.

10. A horse can look completely sound without a rider, and then almost three legged once someone is on board. Therefore if your getting a feeling that something just isn't quite right, do not just jog him up on the straight or on the lunge and assume all is well.

** Shoeing/trimming intervals should be kept as short as possible. Studies have shown that as the toe grows, the foot 'shoots' forward (long toes, low heel), putting excess strain on the flexor tendons. If your horse always looks slightly 'off' just prior to shoeing, then this is a very probable cause and it may be worth shortening your shoeing cycle.

As a horse owner, developing an eye for lameness is one of the greatest skills you can learn. This will not only allow you to have your horse treated more quickly, but will hopefully nip smaller issues in the bud before they escalate into far bigger ones.

E. J Westwood.

01/01/2023

12/23/2022

One of the key factors in determining whether or not your horse requires more feed involves frequent and precise assessment of body condition score...

12/22/2022

Yesterday it was 50+
Today it’s -6

11/15/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=857208718808162&id=1559634394

10/10/2022

10/07/2022

Beautiful Drizzly morning at 🐴SQA🐴

09/15/2022

Easton is so excited, he can barely stand still for the picture! We’re moving!! We are hoping to open at our new location Oct. 1st but will keep you guys posted on an exact date! Thank you all for the love! We are excited and grateful for what’s to come!

09/01/2022

Reflections of an aging equestrian.

I have done and seen so many things in the horse world.

Trained horses and riders for lots of different things.

Kept my eyes open.

Learned a lot.

Perspective is a wonderful thing and here are some of my opinions.

You cannot show horses if you are looking to please judges. They are rarely pleased. Further, they have varying opinions based on their journey and education that may or may not be consistent with what you heard from the last judge, and are trying to produce.
Be fair to your horse and ride for his betterment.
In the short and long run that is the most important thing, and you will not be disappointed then.

Everyone who loves horses is not willing to get involved with equine welfare. That was a tough one for me to swallow. I thought knowledge coupled with need would roust all the horse lovers into action. I know now that is not true at all. I think we should all do something… whatever we can, on account of the need, but that now seems unlikely.
I will know more and report back on that as I continue on into the world of equine welfare.

Teaching people to ride is not the same as creating a horseman or horsewoman. We have far too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

Being a good sport is very difficult in this industry for a myriad of reasons. Try to be a good sport anyway.

Standing up for yourself or your horse is equally difficult. Do that as well.

Remember who helped you, sponsored you, coached you or gave you opportunities. Once in a while remember to thank them.

I would not trade my as yet unfinished journey with anyone else’s. I needed to learn what I have learned I needed to see what I saw. Embrace your journey. Work hard, try, care, and above all…

BE GOOD TO THE HORSES,
Cheers,

08/09/2022

Rounding up Cattle!
Bree Laurent
Brandon Steinkamp
Ava Bosko

07/31/2022

PERFECTION

07/12/2022

New Barn help &Stitch helping Jose.