Gemstone Stable

04/01/2025

Our first RV layover. Thanks Danny and Johanne for staying with us. Headed back home to Canada.

03/28/2025

03/22/2025

Layover 3 and 4 all ready. We now have 4 layover stall/pens. 2 and 2, seperated by a space.

30 amp electric hookup

And our apartment rental:
airbnb.com/h/gggetaway

Www.gemstonestable.com

03/15/2025

03/15/2025

Grass is growing, a few say not going in

03/10/2025

Here are some of the obstacles we have.

03/08/2025

We have 1 opening for board for a gelding. Outside open stall. Total of 8 geldings here, 6 go in barn stalls at night, other 2 in the outside huge pen with 2 open stalls. Unlimited hay and they get fed feed twice a day. On pasture when its available with the herd during the day.

- Outdoor arena
- round pen
- huge roof over the large paddock, horses are out of the weather, less mud, cleaned daily
- tack room, heated and humidifier
- feed room with bathroom, heated and cooled
- wash area
- lots of nice obstacles to play on
- geldings only.
- only calm TBs

Www.gemstonestable.com
717-729-2767

03/08/2025

Coming soon, 4th layover spot. Have to put fence up then it is ready

03/05/2025

Jasper loves obstacles. He must be wondering what to do with this. Lol

02/21/2025

02/15/2025

Recently added 2 stalls/run ins to the big outdoor pen. Now the 2 horses boarded out there have their own stall for whenever they want.

01/25/2025

Addition to GemStone Stable. These are for the 2 horses that board in the big pen. Hoping they will sleep in there.

01/21/2025

01/06/2025

01/04/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY!

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee