Four Winds Farm

12/06/2024

FWF students 🎨
As I was feeding this morning I was looking at the sea of horses wearing blue and green blankets and thought…. This is BORING! So I am counting on YOU GUYS to help add some pizazz, color and creativity to their wardrobes! We are going to have a blanket painting contest! There will be dates and a sign up sheet at the barn, you can pick which horses’ blanket (from the list) you would like to paint, there will be some rules and you will need to bring your own paint. I think this is going to be fun! Stay tuned for more info 🎨🖌️

11/20/2024

After a scare this evening with a pretty significant gas colic on one of our older lesson ponies it’s time for the reminder post about TREATS.
Our rules about feeding treats are: 1) ask permission from your instructor or one of the farm employees BEFORE you feed your horse ANYTHING, every time. 2) Do not feed any other horse anything.
Here’s why; all horses, just like people, have different diets and certain restrictions. We have A LOT of senior citizens who have metabolic issues and some who don’t have teeth strong enough to chew certain things. We have a lot of privately owned horses who should NEVER be fed treats by anyone other than their owner. Horses digestive systems are delicate and it doesn’t take much to throw something off and have it turn into a serious or fatal problem.
We appreciate that you want to treat your horse after your ride and you should thank them for allowing you to learn on their backs BUT people must ask permission and only feed them what they are allowed to have as well as an amount they are allowed to have. We have soft alfalfa cubes available at the barn and people may bring special treats from home. Treats you are allowed to bring are: carrots cut up in small pieces or baby carrots, apple cut up in small pieces, watermelon cut up in small pieces and bananas. THATS IT. Again- some lesson horses do have dietary restrictions and can not have sugar so not every horse is allowed to have what I just listed. So this is why you MUST ask permission first.
Horses are herbivores but that does not mean they can eat all types of fruits and vegetables. For example- what was found in the ponies bucket today was Broccoli and Cauliflower (among other things) Cauliflower and Broccoli are a cruciferous vegetable, which means it contains raffinose, a type of sugar that can cause gas in horses. This gas can lead to colic, digestive issues, bloating, and scouring, which can be severe and even fatal for horses.
Everyone here has good intentions and some people just may not know the importance of this rule or why it is in place. I know everyone loves to feed treats, the horses beg and can look so hopeful but please remember- NO TREATS OF ANY KIND WITHOUT SPECIFIC PERMISSION 🐴

11/11/2024

We hosted our first National Capital Adult Equitation League horse show today! WHAT FUN! Thank you to Full Moon Farm and Clover Luck Stables for being so kind and supportive. What awesome teams! We are proud of all our riders and most importantly our horses who stepped up today and did well. We couldn’t have pulled it off so smoothly without Kathy running the gate, Michele keeping points, Doug announcing for our fantastic judge and ALL 22 OF OUR KID HELPERS who did their jobs so well taking care of the horses all day. You guys are appreciated so much! I can’t wait for the next one!

11/03/2024

Congratulations to our National Capital Adult Equitation League team on a FUN and successful first show of the season! Our next show is next Sunday (Nov 10) and we are looking for volunteers to help with all the details that come with hosting a show. If you or your capable child are available please reach out!

10/31/2024

The FWF Trick or Treaters will be making their rounds through Braemar today about 4:00. We have lots of candy to give!

09/15/2024

If you haven’t seen them in person, you should! Amazing opportunity to visit them so close to home!

When are the Budweiser Clydesdales coming to Northern Virginia? The Clydesdales will be in Herndon on September 17.