Big Oak Ranch, home of Southern Star Farm, LLC

06/30/2023

06/23/2023

Peyton is taking new students for breakaway roping, goat tying, barrel racing and pole bending! Are you interested in trying it out?

06/23/2023

We have photographers who frequent us regularly. From Quinceañera’s to weddings to birthdays or engagement photos. If you are interested in booking with one of our photographer friends here at the farm, please message us today! (Pictured is Sir Frankie… who had the kindest eyes on the planet.)

06/23/2023

Free Kittens, Ready for their new homes/barns. Text me if you want one or two!
336-705-8966

06/20/2023

Making some necessary changes, stay tuned.

04/22/2023

Ponies are in! Academy is rolling!

04/22/2023

Come on out, and if for nothing else grab a bite at Twisted Sisters concessions who are here on site!!

04/22/2023

Pushing show start time to 10am.
Storming now and passing fast. Arena is holding well!

04/15/2023

Sweetest babies! Come on out and meet them! And don’t forget about our All English Horse Show next weekend! Concessions on site and as always, open to the public!

04/02/2023

But wait… there’s more!

You want to meet the kindest bunch of animals around? Give us a shout today! From birthday parties to photo sessions to family events, weddings and more, we are happy to host you and yours.

04/02/2023

Spring Photo Sessions are underway!

03/27/2023

There are only 3 spaces left! Reserve your spot today! Don't forget about the adult camp coming soon as well!

03/21/2023

Not to be left out… for the adults in the family!!

Signup Today!!

03/21/2023

Booking NOW for April 2nd!! Select spots still available! Message today to reserve your spot!

03/21/2023

🔥 Signup Today 🔥

Snacks will be provided.

Come learn in a fun-filled environment!
Grooming, tacking and riding. Crafts and other activities!

A FREE Egg Hunt will end the week on Friday April 7th!

03/19/2023

Animal family ❤️

03/19/2023

🍀St. Patrick’s Day Fundraiser Event 2023🍀
Proceeds to benefit our recent rescues, Slim Jim and Rex, out of a Pennsylvania kill pen ❤️❤️

03/18/2023

I found the leprechaun…. But can you?? Come on out and give it a shot!

03/17/2023

🐣 Spring Photo Sessions 🐣

Call or message to reserve your spots with the cutest baby animals around!

03/17/2023

I guide with my HANDS,
I ask with my LEGS and
I ride with my SEAT!

THE CONNECTIONS - Contact is not just about the hands, it is about a horse and rider in unison.
The rider's hands and reins are connected through the bit to the horse's front legs and the rider's legs are connected to the horse's hind legs. The rider’s pelvis is connected to the horse’s pelvis.

03/16/2023

CLIENT – How much will it cost to do this job?
CONTRACTOR - $2,800 dollars.

CLIENT – That’s too expensive for this job!
CONTRACTOR – How much do you think it should cost?

CLIENT – $800 max! It’s a simple job!
CONTRACTOR – I can’t do the job for so little.

CLIENT – People in your line of work wants to make a huge profit!
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry you feel this way. Why don’t you do the job?

CLIENT – But, but, I don’t know how to do any of that.
CONTRACTOR – For $900, I can teach you everything you need to know to do the job. You can then use $800 to do the job, and you’re still saving $1,100. Also, you will obtain all the knowledge and the experience for the next time you need to do this job.

CLIENT – Deal!
CONTRACTOR – Great! To start, you need to buy tools. You will need a chipping hammer, a nail gun, a laser, a drill, a mixer machine, PPE, and some other things.

CLIENT – But, I don’t have any of those tools and I can’t buy all that for just one job!
CONTRACTOR – Ok. I can rent you my tools for another $300. You’re still saving $800.

CLIENT – That’s cutting my savings, but I will rent your tools.
CONTRACTOR – Perfect! I’ll be back Saturday and we can start.

CLIENT – Wait! I can’t Saturday. I only have time today.
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry, I only teach others on Saturdays. I have to prioritize my time and my tools needs to be in other jobs I have during the week.

CLIENT – Ok then. I will sacrifice my family’s plans on Saturday.
CONTRACTOR – Right, me too! Oh, I forgot. If you’re going to do the job yourself, you need to buy the materials. There’s a high demand nowadays, so your best bet is to get a truck and be at the hardware store by 6am before other contractors get there.

CLIENT – AT SIX IN THE MORNING? On Saturday? That’s too early for me. I don’t even have a truck!
CONTRACTOR – I guess you’ll have to rent one. By the way, do you have some helpers to help you load the truck?

CLIENT – You know what? I’ve been thinking. Probably is better for you to do the job. It’s better to pay you to do the job right and not having to go through all that hassle.
CONTRACTOR – Good thinking. Sign here and let me get to work.

This is the truth.

People are not just paying for a job, they are paying for knowledge, experience, tools, time, family sacrifices, and other things you bring to the table.

Don’t let others dictate your worth.

~Unknown Author

03/14/2023

HORSEMAN
There are horse trainers, horse traders and horse whisperers. There are show men, show boaters and show offs. There are fast talkers and would be magicians.

But then there are true Horsemen and Horsewomen, and these are harder to find and sometimes even harder to recognize because they are often tucked away in quiet hidden places, working slowly and silently without national recognition or appreciation.

Often times, the true horseman or woman does not have the most horses in training or those horses that are exceptionally bred or high priced. Often times, the true Horsemen and Women do not have access to big money owners or run through dozens and dozens of prospects in order to find the few that can take the pressure of aged event prize money or high profile exhibition. Many times, the true horsemen and women are slow and steady, methodical and patient, training on an individual horse's timeline and not to a rigid show schedule set by the seasons or show management.

These people recognize a horse's physical and mental capabilities and showcase their assets without sacrificing their bodies or minds. Horsemen and women take their time developing their horses' skills and confidence through a traditional steps, one before the next, placing just as much credence in their teaching relationship and equine partnership as they do in show pen results. Horsemen and women are humble because their reward comes from within; from knowing that they have taught through kindness, patience, fortitude, and logic. Their rewards coming from creating a confident horse that works with them and not for them, horses that are not scared or intimidated, horses with solid foundations that last season after season and that carry a gamut of riders from the experienced non pro to the Amateur to the Green Reiner. Always Dedicated. Always Patient. Always Consistent. Whether it be riding young horses, resurrecting older horses, or maintaining the Steady Eddy, a True Horseman is one of the first ones to throw a leg over in the morning and one of the last ones to pull their boots off in the evening.
Horsemen and women are a pleasure to watch in the arena or on the ranch as they diligently and patiently impart their knowledge and logic to both horses and students.

In an era where the horse industry is so economically driven and success is measured primarily in prize money and accolades, the tradition of the true horseman and the process of training horses seems to be changing; giving way to an assembly line mentality where immediate success and financial compensation take precedence over handcrafted quality and longevity. Dedicated to their craft, loyal to their students, ambitious, hardworking and a role model for anyone interested in making their way in an industry dominated by pressure to build great animals in less and less time, old fashioned horsemen are women are now Artisans, assets to our heritage and traditions and harder and harder to find.

A thoughtful teacher, a thorough instructor, a gentle hand, a firm guide, a rational yet fearless showman, the greatest compliment that I think could ever be given to someone who works with horses, is to be thought of as a Horseman.
by Becky Hanson

03/12/2023

Copied and Shared, and could NOT agree more.

❗️Full Board Isn't Full Service❗️

A friend asked me to write this a while ago..and I have been thinking on it for several months. So here is a go.

Full board Isn't full board. The average boarding farm with anywhere from 5 to 40 boarders is so much work. Just the daily grind of getting up, feeding, haying, checking water takes up a significant amount of time. Stalls, another massive chunk, then repeat pm feed.

Then you want the boarding farm to do blankets ( something I refuse to do. I worked for a QH trainer in the 90s and spent hrs every morning and night reblanketing all the horses under lights ...cured me ) , meds, you want night check. You want their weight and physical appearance monitored through their blankets.

Now all the extras : tackroom swept, aisle perfect, walls hosed down, no rodents, cobwebs , working washrack with drain that never clogs...

Then perfectly manacured fields , mowed, fertilized, weedwacking. Fences repairs etc....

Board or bored...when your horse is in the stall more for inclement weather , you need to get there to exercise it and prevent colic ( motion is lotion for guts and joints ! ). Full board doesnt cover checking every single inch of the horse ( though most of us do take a quick look, i have trained myself to look at all 4 legs both side every day ) for bumps, bruises, shoes with sprung heels , mysterious fungus that appears on its flank. Owners need to be present, take responsibility for their own horse, make coming out to groom that retired horse on a schedule....and always always be accessible for emergencies.

When you see something needs done, just do it instead of complaining about it. We have all seen the posts about the costs of boarding and basically, if you are paying less than $1000/ month, someone is subsidizing your board. So pick up a rake, a broom, be present. Run a hose, scrub the tub. Triple check your horse. Check on the horse whose owner is ill ( with their permission ) . Leave things better than they were.
Many barns have a person or 2 that randomly helps with some stalls....I guarantee you the barn owner appreciates that person. I used to have a students father who would clean many stalls while his daughter rode. I know I'll never forget him.

Holidays....most barns have 1 of 2 ways of thinking. 1. Don't come out at all. 2. If you do come out, plan to help with feeding, haying, watering turnout and stalls. I can speak from personal experience...I havent had a holiday off since pre 2001 except for 1 Christmas, an exceptional student did all the work as my gift. I'll never forget that act of kindness. Nurses get double time for major holidays ( and still get to take off a day for Christmas , heck even the local convenience store pays double or time and half on major holidays) , barn owners get nothing, most of the time not even a thank you... I recall a colleague who boarded horses ( and of course taught lessons, trained horses, sold horses and ran shows because boarding doesnt pay the bills ) saying one day she realized her life was like the movie Ground Hog Day....and that she has done the same thing every morning every night for decades. Her farm went up for sale and she now boards her own horses.

Education. Do you know what horses diseases are, understand deworming, know what ailments to watch out for. When should the vet be called ? Can you wrap legs properly, handle an abscess, recognize fungus, spot a colic ? If not, pick up a book, watch some videos. Horse ownership means you love horses and you want to know everything about them.

Anyway...full care isn't day care you drop your "kid " off too and never pick them up from again. Be present. Your horse will appreciate the attention and the barn owner will feel relief that you are watching out for your horse.