The Holland Herd

08/03/2024

*Edited post*
Unlike muscles and bones, a horse’s lungs don’t improve with exercise.

Did you know that horses’ lungs don’t train? 🐴 Unlike bones, heart, and skeletal muscles, the lungs don't adapt to exercise. The amount of air moved in and out by an unfit horse is the same as when that horse is fit.

So why does training improve exercise capacity? Because the heart, skeletal muscles and other body systems that utilize the oxygen that’s delivered by the lungs do train and become more efficient at utilizing the oxygen that the lungs are delivering.

To read more facts about the equine respiratory system, visit ➡️ https://flairstrips.com/blog/10-equine-respiratory-system-facts/

04/17/2024

Trust the process.

A lot of times, we get frustrated or give up on horses too soon because we haven’t given them time to mentally mature.

Give them time to build confidence and understanding in your program before you begin manipulating a bunch of factors.

If you keep moving the goalpost and introducing new plays before your horse has even had a chance to understand what you are asking for, it is going to become frustrated.

Trust that the system you have established will produce the results you are looking for. Stay the course. Give it some time.

Remember, making a great horse takes years — not days.

03/13/2024

02/02/2024

To anyone who wants to rodeo.

I feel like I should warn you. I feel like it’s my duty to make sure you know what you’re getting into.

If you finally convince your dad to buy you a pony, a couple things might happen.

First you’ll fall in love with this pony. The kind of love that has you buying matching bell boots and saddle pads. You’ll talk about this pony every chance you get. In pictures you draw, journal entries you write and maybe your teacher lets you take her to show and tell.

Slowly but surely you’ll convince your dad to let you take his good head horse through the barrels. He’s always been a sucker for you.

Every year you get better. The fire keeps burning. Getting hotter and hotter. Free weekends no longer exist and other sports become extracurriculars.

Nothing else seems to matter. All because some little girl with wild blonde half-brushed hair convinced her dad to buy her that pony.

Family vacations are trips to nationals and “real tv” is only watched 10 days out of the year in December. Nights consist of ground work, complete come-aparts after you miss 6 calves in a row and runs you wish your mom would’ve videod because you’re sure it was an arena record.

I should warn you about the expenses, the cost of fuel, entry fees and the thousands of dollars you will spend to drive 2,000 miles to watch a 6-second goat run.

I should warn you about the alligator tears after being high call and breaking the barrier. Or when horses get hurt, you get hurt or when times are too tough to enter everything you qualify for.

I should warn you about these things.

Instead I’ll warn you about how much your life will change. So much you’ll never get the old you back.

Hard work is the norm and losing becomes part of it. Even though it still stings. Animals are fed before you even think about dinner and practices go until the sun decides to go to sleep. Your siblings will use the fact that they opened the chutes for you as ammo in every argument you have.

I guess I should warn you that it will be worth it. Every slow walk back to the trailer and every silent ride home.

I guess I should warn you that once you give yourself to this sport, you’ll never be the same. From the way you wave to people to how often you hold the door for a stranger. Everything will look different. Suddenly you’ll worry about the ground when it rains and you’ll stay up for days straight walking a colicing horse around.

I guess I should warn you you’ll never see the world or yourself the same again.

This isn’t a sport that takes some of your time or a little bit of your effort.

It takes all of you.

And it never really gives you back.

Just thought I should warn you.

01/24/2024

Just needs to find a new home. I’m not going to have time for him until this spring, and he’s just sitting around getting older. He’s had 90 days riding with reputable horse trainers and then we got him. We rode him a handful of times, but I have been pregnant or busy raising babies since we’ve had him, so he’s been kicked out and put on the back burner. I’ve done a ton of groundwork with him, and he’s smart. He has bucked when I’ve saddled him after time off. He’s not for a beginner. If you have questions, you can call me and I’ll answer them. He’s in Hardesty, Ok. 💲4,### or best offer. Price is very negotiable, and I’m motivated to sell.

01/24/2024

01/18/2024

Looking forward to longer days so we can get back into more time for lessons!

01/14/2024

I have a little patch that works wonders on our four legged friends to! Comment below and I’ll get you more information.

12/19/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=868698071053&id=111200537&mibextid=0cALme

12/15/2023

I do believe we missed day of the horse!! How can that be? We’re very thankful to have our herd!

11/17/2023

Have you been looking for something that will work for you AND your equine partner?! I’ve found something that I’ve seen work for both of us! I believe in the science behind these little patches. It’s easy, it’s non-invasive, it’s safe, and you can see results quickly. Plus, it’s cost effective! Comment below if you’d like more information

11/10/2023

Start where you are, today.

No matter where you and your horse are at in your training journey, just start where you are and start progressing. Don’t look around and compare yourself with everybody else.

Everybody’s situation is different.

Some people are in a situation where they get to spend the majority of their time training horses.

Some people are in a situation where they get to spend a fairly minimal amount of their time working on that relationship and training their horse.

Life happens. We all have distractions and other things that are pulling for our time.

Just start where you are today.

Pick out your one thing that you are going to commit to to get 1% better today, and just move forward from there.

It’s about progress, not perfection.

11/03/2023

I feel attacked.

10/18/2023

One of the biggest myths in horsemanship is: “I’m not a trainer–I just ride my own horses.”

Everyone who deals with horses is a trainer. I repeat: EVERYONE.

Training can be defined as "influencing action." If you are interacting with a horse in any capacity, you are influencing that animal to take an action.

Every interaction you have with a horse either creates or reinforces positive or negative actions.

You don’t even have to saddle the horse to have an influence on that animal. Even stepping in the pen to catch your horse presents a training opportunity. Your presence and energy alone can influence that horse’s behavior.

Having the awareness of how much influence you have over a horse is one of the most important truths to acknowledge in your horsemanship journey.

This is a truth that can work for you or against you. Make it work in your favor.

10/13/2023

The magic of a horse imagination

09/29/2023

09/28/2023

Annie’s first solo ride without being led!! Rihanna kind of likes the kid horse stuff.

09/22/2023

Low quality photo, high quality memories. Annie rode her pony to get a chocolate covered cheesecake bar at the team roping! Sergio has been hauled all over the last few weeks. He’s been to a couple barrel races, a team roping, the concession stands, even sat in the grand stands and watched a little lol. He’s hauling like a champ and doesn’t act studdy. Don’t forget to message me to get your spot in his raffle!

09/18/2023

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ′′healing′′ that occurs when we're close to horses.
According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body.
While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent′′ heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can feel better when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace.
In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy.

09/15/2023

09/10/2023

💰UPDATE💰raffle price change!! 💲25.00!!

💥FACEBOOK RAFFLE💥
Christmas is just around the corner, and what little kid doesn’t want a pretty palomino pony from Santa?
Sergio is a beautiful little palomino mini stud pony with lots of chrome, two blue eyes, and a long mane!! He’s 4-5 years old and stands right at 9:1 hands (36.5”). He has been through the “Annie Crash Course” since we got him two years ago. He’s gentle and easy to be around. He has had a lot of groundwork done, has spent a lot of time tied up, has been started under saddle a little bit, and has been hauled some. He’s good to shoe and bathe. He is ready for his next cowboy or cowgirl to go on and finish him or just love on him. We are selling him as started and NOT A FINISHED RIDER, but he is a great lead line pony.

💵HOW THE RAFFLE WORKS💵
Each spot is now $25 per spot. We will draw for numbers when we get the raffle full. You must pay via PayPal or Venmo before your name will go on the list.
The drawing will be held via Facebook live as soon as all spots are filled and paid for.
Venmo -Holland
PayPal

Good luck and we can’t wait to see which lucky kid gets Sergio!

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