L'Squared Carriage Driving at Pen-Beth Farm

09/14/2024

09/02/2024

Always have a blast teaching! Check out my Uber driver today! She was amazing!

08/31/2024

Fun Day at the Driving Game show at Ellis River Riders!

12/25/2023

From all the great Mares at L’Squared we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

09/11/2023

Remember 9/11.

09/05/2023

We have a few times open for carriage driving lessons. Please send us a message for availability!

09/11/2022

We will never forget! God Bless the USA

09/07/2022

New carriage trails are doing great in all of the rain we have received! Can’t wait to drive them when they dry out a little more!!

09/05/2022

Pretty exciting weekend! We have an excavator rented to clean up stumps and rocks! Going to be amazing carriage and riding trails!

08/21/2022

What have we been up to? Working horses and keeping the dust washed off the carriages! What has everyone been up to?

05/30/2022

Thank you to all who gave their lives.

05/17/2022

Cool shot Eli took over my helmet as I drove Magic today. He is getting really good at his photography.

04/17/2022

Wishing Everyone a Happy Easter!

02/14/2022

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!!

01/08/2022

Some great information for reference not medical advice.

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.

01/07/2022

We are taking a poll to see if there is interest in horse camp over school vacations? Comment below

01/07/2022

Did you write goals for this year? Do you struggle for clarity? Put your goals no matter how scattered they are on paper. It brings the clarity and change you are looking for when you write them down.

01/06/2022

Amazing opportunity to be the first to experience our virtual program. Join now and commit to providing feedback as a test group to receive free benefits.

Looking for 3 students (riding, driving or ground work) You can live anywhere. You just need to be able to do the follow things:

1.) Commit to the program for two months

2.) Ride, drive or ground work 2 times or more a week in February and March

3.) Be able to get regular videos of your sessions. Then cut it down to 5-10 minutes for group submissions.

4.) Log into weekly zoom meetings. Meeting time will be picked once participants are selected and will be the same day and time every week.

5.) Speak English

6.) Want to improve your riding, driving or ground work

7.) Be open mind and teachable

8.) Be willing for me to share your video to use as a learning tool

9.) Give me honest feedback at the end

You will receive weekly coaching(group). Twice a month private coaching. Online curriculum based on your skills and training discipline. Plus some other fun benefits!

If you are really interested in the program and working with me send me a message!
Email: [email protected]

01/05/2022

We sure miss driving on snowy, rainy winter days! Tough when our sleigh needs a repair. Have any ideas to kick the winter blues?

01/04/2022

It is really cold here today! Everyone here is making sure water tubs and buckets stay ice free. Make sure your all your animals are drinking! Stay warm!!

Did you know a horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation when the outside temperature drops to approximately 50°F? Cold weather prompts special considerations for your horse's diet and care: https://aaep.org/horsehealth/cold-weather-nutrition

01/04/2022

Grooming Club - Starting soon!!

Participants in this program will get the amazing opportunity to connect with a horse through grooming sessions and one-on-one time with your assigned horse. This unique program allows you the time and place to build a special bond with a horse. More details to come!

12/25/2021

Merry Christmas!! Have a wonderful day!🎁🎄

11/25/2021

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for carriage driving of course! Have a wonderful day!!

11/16/2021

05/09/2021

Wishing all the wonderful Mom’s an amazing Mother’s Day!!

04/04/2021

We hope you have a wonderful Easter!

11/11/2020

Thank All Veterans for their service.

Thank You to all Veterans for your service. God Bless America.

10/28/2020

Sad but completely understandable!

We have made the decision that in order to safeguard the continuity of Live Oak International in the long term, the Tournament for 2021 will not be held. This was a very emotional and difficult choice to make but we do not want to take any risks whatsoever when it comes to the health of those involved with this wonderful event. It is impossible to predict how the pandemic will develop over the next few months or what measures will be needed to safely host an event. We believe that making this decision early is the fairest for our sponsors, exhibitors, partners, volunteers, suppliers, and community.
Live Oak International is the largest spectator event in Ocala and hosting an event without spectators is not our vision. While safety and logistics are of first priority, not being able to host an event to the standard of which makes our tournament so special was also a contributing factor. Live Oak International is memorable for its large supportive crowds, vibrant atmosphere, team-spirited volunteers, and hands down an incredible experience! Without these moments, the tournament would not be truly Live Oak International.
Our sponsors, Federation, and many wonderful partners have given us helpful feedback about this next chapter in our 30-year history. We sincerely thank them, knowing that without their support, none of the many years of Live Oak International’s success would have been possible.
Live Oak International would like to extend its congratulations to the organizations who have been awarded the USEF National Driving Championships. It is encouraging to see the largest number of organizations expressing interest to host the variety of championships for 2021. The initiative from these shows will encourage the driving sport to grow and prosper in the United States. The organizers from the Garden State CDE, Kentucky Classic at Hillcroft CAI, Grand Oaks CDE, and Katydid CDE have all attended Live Oak International as competitors, partners, and team members, so it is our hope that these organizers will carry with them Live Oak International’s mission that the highest levels of sport, horsemanship, and sportsmanship come first.

We look back gratefully on the exceptional event that was Live Oak International 2020. The timing of our tournament was only days before COVID-19 closed nearly every sporting event in the world. It was a memorable weekend and something we will all cherish as we await the time until we can come back together again.

We will stay in close touch and keep you informed as the plans are finalized for Live Oak International 2022 and beyond. Thank you, as always, for your support and dedication over the years.

04/12/2020

Happy Easter! Enjoy your day

02/14/2020

Happy Valentine’s Day!!