Salty Horse Ranch

03/25/2025

Groundwork is a crucial element to having a good riding horse… don’t skip it!!!

03/15/2025

We had a very lovely day at the UCSC Dressage Show. All of the horses were very well behaved. That was really our goal for the show was for everybody to just get off property and remember how to trot down a center line. We showed both western and English dressage.
Carson and Frank did the first and last rides of the day for our team. Carson has been working very hard to bring Frank (IDSH Fallon) back into work and did an absolutely lovely job of riding him today and it showed in their scores and the first place ribbon.
Cianna did a very nice job of getting Tanner to settle down as Tanner (AQHA Heza Rare Frenchman) decided to be the nervous Nellie of the group today. Somebody always has to have that role! She tact fully rode her test and did a very nice job with him.
Charlee and Pal (AQHA Hez Gold N Flashy) did a great job in their Western Dressage test winning their class in their first show together. Thank you so much to Georgia for allowing us the use of the awesome boy!
Carter did a great job with Doc (AQHA Docs Boy Lena) 5 yr old gelding sired by our stallion Boy Lena 050. They won their training 1 with a 65% He was exceptionally well behaved for his first dressage show. He had baby moments of wondering if the cameraman was going to come and eat him but overall he was fantastic and we have high hopes for this guy!
Kim and Wyn (AQHA Hollywood Salty Blue) had a nice relaxed day at their first show together and completing their Western Dressage test with a score of 68%! They may not have won but they did an excellent job for their first time out together!
Everybody exceeded my expectations today, thank you all for your dedication and hard work! 

03/08/2025

Thank you to my mentor in the CS learning journey. It is really the coolest journey ♥️

CranioSacral takes DEDICATION… it takes continued learning… it’s takes OPENING one’s mind to learning at a whole other level than what exists in equine education programs….

THE CRANIUM-is a complex architectural structure, WHICH houses the main computer of the nervous system “ the brain”…

KNOWING what you are treating and these complexities is vital to practicing CRANIOSACRAL therapy with horses!

Students who attend our EQUINE CranioSacral Workshops program, pioneered by Maureen Rogers, are seen here learning the complexities of the horse’s head, so they will be successful in treating the many conditions..especially equine Headshaking, TMJ, cribbing, behavioral issues , biomechanics and others!

It’s NOT JUST TAKING A 2 DAY WEEKEND workshop.… it SO MUCH MORE!

Visit our website www.equinecraniosacral.com for workshop dates and locations!

03/04/2025

Yesterday was spring shots and Coggins day! And some injections and other stuff… we are thankful to have Fordham Equine Mobile Veterinary Services to us keep these horses healthy and show ready. So don’t forget what time a year it is and give them a call!

03/03/2025

“Horses regularly trained with ground work are more relaxed when ridden”

A recent study of dressage horses in Germany that looked at rein length and tension revealed a surprising finding: horses who were regularly trained in ground work/in-hand work had lower heart rates during ridden work than all of the other participating horses. This wasn’t what the researchers were investigating, but it was clear in the results. From this, the researchers concluded that, “Perhaps horses trained in ground work had more trust in their rider.”

So why would it be true that horses who regularly learn via ground work/in-hand work are more relaxed? There are a few possibilities.

1) Horses trained regularly with ground work are more relaxed because their trainers are more relaxed. It’s possible that humans who take the time to teach their horses from the ground are less goal oriented and more concerned with the process. They may be more relaxed in general and foster this same relaxation in their horses. As you are, so is your horse.

2) Horses trained regularly with ground work have trainers who are more educated about a horse’s balance.

Their horses learn to move in correct balance which allows them to be healthy and sound in their bodies and, therefore, more relaxed. Physical balance is emotional balance.

3) Horses trained regularly with ground work understand the trainer’s criteria better. They have mastered the response to an aid before the rider mounts and know the “right answer” already once under saddle. They don’t experience any conflict when the rider asks for a behavior because the neural pathway has already been installed. They are more relaxed about being ridden because it rarely has caused confusion for them.

For us highly visual humans I think that ground work is often a better way to begin exercises because we are much better at seeing our horse doing the right thing than feeling it from the saddle. Often, my feel in the saddle is enhanced by the fact that I have watched my horse perform an exercise over and over in our in-hand work. It feels how it looks. In-hand work is also a good way to teach our horses because our own bodies are often more in balance when we are walking beside our horses. With the ground under our feet we are able to be more relaxed if something goes wrong and less likely to be so busy wrapped up in our own balance that we give our horses conflicting or confusing aids. It’s a good place to figure things out. I am a huge fan of in-hand work.

I’m glad to learn research revealed ground work is good for horses. Horses with a low heart rate are relaxed and relaxed horses perform better and live longer. In this day and age of people starting horses under saddle in under an hour and increasing monetary rewards for the “young horse dressage program“, everything seems to be done in a hurry. The entire horse culture seems to privilege “getting up there and riding your horse”. But as one of my favorite writers and accomplished horsewoman, Teresa Tsimmu Martino writes, “In today’s horse culture there are clinics that brag about starting a c**t in a day, as if the quickness of it was the miracle. But old horse people know it takes years to create art. Horses as great masterpieces are not created in a day. An artist does not need to rush.” We need more scientific studies like this one to encourage us to slow down and take our time with our horses.

So why were the horses in the study more relaxed? Likely it was a combination of all three factors – a relaxed trainer, better overall balance and clear understanding of criteria.

These are things that matter to your horse, and yes, will allow him to trust you when you ride. Take some time to slow down and work from the ground, learn a bit more about equine balance and teach new things in-hand before asking for them under saddle. You can take your riding to a whole new level and help your horse become more healthy and relaxed in the process.” - from the article by Jen of Spellbound Horses

02/28/2025

Lots of projects today! New mats installs, finally getting to enjoy the grass that is growing in the attached grazing areas. Now each dry lot for medical horses has an attached grazing area that can be used! And onto building two more private paddocks! So exciting!!!

02/26/2025

Have a look 👀

02/25/2025

 I would encourage anybody to get a chance to go to one of his lectures or to ride in one of his clinics to do so! I rode with Gerd Heuschmann for the first time in 2012 as a demo rider for his “The Biomechanics of the Horse” Symposium and it changed my view of dressage from something you do for competition to physical therapy for the horse and a way to develop the horse in harmony and balance. I went on a ride with him several times a year after that as well as hosting a whole symposium myself. This year I was blessed to have my daughter Carter be able to ride with him and learn these principles. She had a wonderful time riding with him and learning how to achieve balance and straightness and proper contact with horses mouth. It is just such a pleasure when you get to see dressage taught in such a way that the “head being down” is not the priority. Know better, do better.  I know that he will be back here sometime in May and if you’re interested in watching his lessons I am glad to give you the contact information of the people hosting him!

02/23/2025

This is an amazing mare! Carter (14) has even had a chance to lesson on her and what a star this mare was for a girl who has never had an opportunity to ride something like her. Hibiscus 🌺 was more than kind and accommodating and is going to take somebody very far!

02/21/2025

It is worthwhile for everybody to read the works of Linda Tellington Jones and I was lucky to be introduced to it in my teenage years. It was later in a dissection I participated in the examiner demonstrated this principle and it is shocking. It saddens me to see how many horses today are ridden with excessive bit pressure with the head forced down. If you watch closely you can see in those horses that behind end is not functioning properly.
Know better, do better.

02/20/2025

Great info on parasite control!

Did you know that horse dewormer labels are no longer accurate regarding which parasites they effectively treat?

The information on these labels is based on data collected from when the dewormer was first introduced on the market, which is decades ago (the most recent dewormers are from the 1990's while some date back to the 70's)! Unfortunately, since then, a lot of resistance has developed and it is important to use more recent research and science-based recommendations as well as personal f***l egg counts and f***l egg count reduction tests, to determine a deworming schedule that is effective for your horse herd.

I have been working my way through the new AAEP Internal Parasite Control Guidelines put out in 2024 (I encourage everyone to head over to their site and read what they have put together - I will include a link in the comments!) and thought this chart may be helpful in providing more updated guidelines for horse owners in the United States and Canada.

One of the most important things you need to do in order to use this table correctly is know which parasite(s) you are trying to target. While many dewormers have resistance observed to some extent, you will select the most effective dewormer for that given parasite. Other factors to consider are horse age, time of year, and shedding level - which is a whole separate post in and of itself due to the many variables that can influence it!

I am working on some more material to help with deworming and parasite control decisions but I am happy to answer questions! If there is anything specific you would like me to address, let me know in the comments. But as you can see by all the red and yellow in this chart, resistance to dewormers is evolving rapidly so I highly encourage you to begin implementing other parasite control practices, specifically relating to pasture and manure management, to help manage parasites in your herd!

What are you currently doing to manage your equine parasites?

Cheers!
Dr. DeBoer

02/18/2025

I have spent a good amount of money to travel to train with what I consider to be great Horsemen. I wouldn’t necessarily call them trainers but great Horsemen. I hate to name them only because I’m afraid that over 40 years I will forget to list important ones. This is one of the things that took me a while to really buy into and that is that every horse regardless of discipline deserves a small amount of groundwork prior to mounting. I cannot stress this enough. I also believed that it really only applied to young horses but in the last few years I have changed that perception. From your young horse to Grand Prix horse to your money o earning western discipline Horse, please put your horse first. The groundwork will allow you to loosen up the muscles prior to adding an extra 150 to 200 pounds to your horse. It will allow the horse to mentally be ready for the work that is ahead and it will allow you, if you develop your eye, to identify issues that your horse is having all on his own without any weight on top of him. It will allow you to adjust your expectations and to appropriately develop the work out. It has been a nonnegotiable now in our Rehab program and our competition program. I would encourage you to take some time to learn about it. Here’s a quick video showing just one exercise that we use. Putting the horse first and giving them a fair chance without ever forcing them to do a job that they are not comfortable doing should be a thing of the past.

02/16/2025

Well sometimes blessing make life hard! But, you can not have the new blessings if you don’t make room. So the decisions have been made…even had to take a weekend to go away and give Doug and I some space to talk about it and our venture 🙏

So first, next year (2026) we will only have 2 foals. (Having foals due means not really getting to travel)
We are expecting 3 foals the end of March. very nice 💰 if paid for before weaning.
1. Boy Lena 050 x CK LA Lori (x Sky High Leo) Full sib to Poppy and Eagle
2. Boy Lena 050 X Colorado Blues (x Our Star Skipper W)
3. Boy Lena 050 x My Salty Senorita (x Wimpys Diamond Leo) Full sib to Snappy

And the hard part we are offering these horses…I have posted tons of pictures and you can PM for more specific info and pictures

Olive
Miss Salty Blue 2017 AQHA Blue Roan Mare 14.1H
We love this girl and she is the first baby we had our of our favorite mare CK LA Lori. (This is also Newts half sister!) We have had 2 nice babies out of her and were sad to find that she is not 5 Panel negative so we have choose to let her be a nice riding horse. She has trail ridden, worked cows, a little dressage, a little jumping and then had two years off so she is green. She is also a sassy mare! She is a beautiful mover and loves attention. 10🥕🥕🥕

Moose
“Bar W Roaney 2335” -23 AQHA Chestnut gelding will mature 14H
No doubt you have seen all videos of him with our daughter Charlee. He has been handled a lot and is a fun guy. Charlee has had a surcingle and saddle on him already. I would hope to see someone get this guy and head for the cattle pen but I also cant deny what a cute pony dressage or hunter pony he could be! 65🥕🥕

Nitro
“Negro Amaro” 2024 KWPN/Friesian Sport Horse C**t
Putting this one up is a real test for me to let go of something I love so much. But he needs his person and I wont have time with the amount of travel and building we will be doing. You wont find a sweeter baby horse ever. Will mature 16.2-3H. His dam has sired several premium foals and his sire was an outstanding dressage horse. 85🥕🥕

Snappy
“Boy Hes Salty 050” 2024 AQHA Liver Chestnut c**t
Please don’t text me and say “I cant believe your selling him!” I KNOW! He is for sale and not on sale. He is 7 panel negative and perfect conformation and out of two high point parents. He is so sweet, will be 15.2Hish and is perfect for the roping pens or the dressage arena. He is the best of both his parents. If he leaves then I will keep the full sibling that is due in April. 10🥕🥕🥕

Ringo
“Lenas Dungot Salty 050” ’24 AQHA Red Dun C**t
This c**t wins the most laid back award this year! When we turned him out a few weeks ago with his yearling siblings he is the one that wants not trouble. He is a sweetheart and when he shed he will be gorgeous with his leg stripes and socks. He is sexy! Has been extensively handled and trailers and ties. He is 6 panel neg N/My and will be stocky and 15.1H. I would love to see this guy go to the roping pen or make someone a great trail partner. 55🥕🥕

Poppy
“Poppin Olena 050” 2024 Red Roan Filly
This girl wins the most beautiful award for the year! There is nothing about her that isn’t gorgeous. Yes she is a half sister to Olive but will be much bigger, likely 15.2-3H and elegant. Her dam did everything from trails, cows, AQHA Ranch, dressage (Horse of the Year recipient), eventing, showjumping and this sky is the limit for Poppy. She is fancy! Her full brother was circuit champion AQHA last year and High Point at the USDF Breeders Championship. She is 5 panel neg, N/HERDA. We are expecting another full sibling this year so if she leaves we will retain that one. 85🥕🥕
All located at Salty Horse Ranch in Monroe, NC

02/15/2025

Take the horse gently ♥️ so many people riding by sheer force. It may win but it is not beautiful nor should it be revered with pride.

Nuno Oliveira: The Horseman the Modern World Forgot

I never saw Nuno Oliveira ride. I’ve never watched him school a horse, never heard the tone of his voice as he gave quiet corrections, never stood at the edge of an arena as he transformed an ordinary horse into something extraordinary.

But I’ve read his words. And they have changed everything for me.

Because the more I learn from Oliveira, the more I see how far the modern world has strayed from true horsemanship. Today, horses are trained for spectacle—forced into exaggerated movements, their bodies compressed and restricted, their willingness buried under layers of pressure. They’re pushed too fast, too soon, with no regard for their physical or mental well-being. And worst of all? This kind of riding is praised. Rewarded. Justified.

But Oliveira knew better. He knew that real dressage wasn’t about submission—it was about freedom. About creating a horse that moved with confidence, balance, and self-carriage. And he knew that this could never be achieved through force.

Instead of pulling a horse’s head in, he developed its body. Instead of demanding results, he waited for the horse to offer them. He trained with softness, patience, and an understanding that every horse had its own timeline. If it took months of in-hand work before a horse was ready to carry a rider correctly, so be it. If it took years to develop true lightness, that was the price of doing things right.

He used the pillars—a forgotten classical method that allowed a horse to build strength and balance without the weight of a rider. He schooled extensively in-hand, making sure the horse understood each movement before ever asking for it under saddle. He rode with invisible aids, proving that if a rider needed force, they had already failed in their communication.

And when he rode? It was something different. His horses weren’t made to move beautifully—they chose to. There was no struggle, no tension, no fight. Just a quiet conversation, so subtle that it seemed like the horse was reading his mind.

I think about this when I see what modern dressage has become. Tight hands, overbent necks, exaggerated gaits that look impressive but feel all wrong. I see horses moving with tension instead of ease, their faces hollow, their bodies pushed beyond their limits. And I wonder—what would Oliveira say if he saw this?

He once wrote, “The hands must be like a caress.” But today, too many riders hold with iron grips, never releasing, never giving. He said, “Ask often, be content with little, reward generously.” But today, horses are asked for everything, given nothing, and rarely rewarded at all.

I never saw Oliveira ride. But through his books, I feel like I know him. Like I know the kind of rider he was, the kind of horseman he wanted others to be. And I know that his way—the right way—is disappearing.

But not for me.

Because if I’ve learned anything from Oliveira, it’s that riding should be about more than results. It should be about the horse. And in a world that has forgotten that, I refuse to.