Terra Cello Farm LLC.

02/14/2025

The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce additional financial support for dressage judges. 🥳

Thanks to the continued support of the Shannon Foundation, donations in memory of Carter Bass, and donations from donors who wish to support the education of U.S. dressage judges, TDF’s Judges Licensing Fund will award four $2,000 grants in 2025. These grants will be awarded to those who wish to participate in activities related to obtaining a judging license of “recorded” (small ‘r’) or higher, including Dressage Sport Horse Breeding and FEI judging levels.

Jenny Johnson, Executive Director of TDF, said, “TDF is committed to the education of dressage judges, as they are an integral part of our dressage community and vital for our sport. Our hope is to support the growth of new judges and to continue the education of current judges.”

The application deadline for TDF’s Judges Licensing Fund is March 15th. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident and have an attainable plan to obtain their goals with this grant. Learn more and apply today at https://bit.ly/4hyexyz

TDF also supports dressage judges through the Mary Anne and Walter McPhail Judge Education Fund for the United States Dressage Federation’s new Judge Education Initiative. Additionally, TDF’s Edgar Hotz Judges Fund provides financial support for USDF Group Member Organizations that are hosting USDF's "Continuing Education for Judges and USDF 'L' Program Graduates."

Photo courtesy of Nicole Trapp, a 2024 TDF Shannon Foundation Fund for Judges' Licensing grant recipient.

02/11/2025

Turning horses in at 5:45pm, there is moonlight at the end of the tunnel.

02/03/2025

***Breaking News*** Roo says the groundhog is full of sh*t.

01/29/2025

Glutton

01/29/2025

Last night at dinner one of my mares decided she wasn’t interested in food. Not hay, not grain, not peppermints. This behavior alone is a huge red flag so the very first thing I did was take her temperature. That was well within normal limits. With that checked off I proceeded to look for any other signs or symptoms. I noticed she kept stretching her hind legs out behind her and she was yawning quite a bit. That was it. Nothing else. She had eaten all of her breakfast, had eaten all of her hay during turnout, drank overnight and during the day.
I maintain a very hands on and individual approach with all the horses on farm. This includes but isn’t limited to knowing exactly how much manure they produce and what its normal consistency is. The same goes for urine production and water consumption. Where they like to stand in their stalls and how they behave in turnout. All of these daily observations and more allow me to notice the slightest abnormal incidents immediately.
I elected to administer 10 cc of Banamine IV, right away as all signs pointed to the beginning stages of a colic. I was able to do so without a holder or any restraint which is incredibly unusual for this particular horse. (She typically needs a twitch for vaccines). That in itself was the biggest red flag that she didn’t feel well. So the vet was called and we elected to perform a re**al and nasogastric tubing to administer warm fluids and electrolytes. Vitals were great but the beginnings of an impaction high up could not be ruled out. So my night consisted of hourly handfuls of soup to stimulate her gut motility, monitor for changes in comfort and of course the wait for manure. The following picture is of her, enjoying an early morning nap in the sunrise, clearly unbothered about the sleepless night I had.
This post is to remind everyone to pay attention to detail. Know your horse. Trust that the barn you board at knows your horse and is willing to put the after hours work in to manage an emergency situation. What I did for my own mare, I don’t hesitate and have most definitely done for my boarders horses.
On a side note; this mare hasn’t coliced in 10 years. That particular colic was 10 minutes after a rabies vaccine and three other horses on property also had reactions. So I can’t tell you what her personal colic tells are, but my gut and experience told me what was going on. She is no worse for wear today and rather enjoying the continued hourly pampering. I on the other hand need a nap.

01/29/2025

01/22/2025

In this severe cold, warm soaked food is given to all the horses. This helps with water consumption, helping to avoid the chance of impaction colic and encourages drinking. All horses boarded here get electrolytes twice daily year round, access to salt licks as well as Tributes Constant Comfort blocks. Hay is kept in front of them at all times, warm water buckets are switched 4 times a day and more if needed. (I do barn check very late at night). A nice warm snack of soaked alfalfa cubes hits just the right spot !

01/20/2025

Shout out to Wheeler’s Landscaping & Construction, for another fantastic storm cleanup. Shout out to this green machine for making turnout so much easier. Plowing paddocks is way better than shoveling!

12/10/2024

Got shavings?

12/09/2024

Still available, price reduced to $1300. Make me an offer! Great Christmas present.

12/05/2024

*** This was posted on another professional site and is worth a share, being in Litchfield County, some of these numbers are low. I’ve seen shavings as high as $12.50 a bag and I personally provide a high quality grain to my boarders which averages $35-$42 a bag. ***

While everyone keeps seeking to board their beloved horse at a top tier Facility, with 24/7 hay, extended “all day” turnout, night check, feed 3x per day, well maintained facility and a trainer on site or the ability to bring your own.

Here are some Averages.

Shavings cost. $7.00- 7.50 per bag/ day=
Or $2575-$3000 per semi bulk

Hay $7.00-8.50 per small bale (40 #)
$125-165 per large square (700 #)
$85-100 per round (800 #)

Stall cleaning $5.00 -$7.00 per stall/day
Manure removal- haul off $1200 per month for 24 horse facility

Grain $24-per 40 # bag at a feed rate of 6 # per day per horse just over 4.2 bags per month $100.80 plus tax & delivery
$115 per horse/month

Labor $15-25 per hour 40 hours/week
$600-1000 PER employee/week (x2 + for very large facilities) **some employees receive board in exchange for extra hours of work.

Stall cost bare $250-350 (lease or what owners should charge per box to cover use & maintenance of said box)

Utilities vary greatly
Water, fuel, heat/gas, electric, etc.
$800-1600/month

Fence posts $26 ea
Fence boards 16’ $29 ea
Water buckets $15 ea
Feed bins $30 ea

Some go what is not factored in:
•Equipment purchase & maintenance
•Storage buildings for hay & equipment to keep fluffy safe from fire risk
•mortgage & taxes
•Farm owner time & experience
•farm owners Significant Other doing maintenance & repairs to keep costs down
•footing maintenance & refreshing

So the facility that y’all are Seeking needs to be charging a minimum of $1215 per month to break even on hay (30 # per day- more if really being fed 24-7 free choice,) grain, shavings (one bag a day) labor (single employee,) utilities and the rent on the “box.”

These figures do not include insurance, maintenance materials, improvements (like footing, lighting upgrades, fans etc) owner experience, wound treatment prior to your arrival, blanketing, etc.

So IF you are paying less than $1200 per month for top quality care and a facility to match- You are NOT paying enough. boarding market, and why you may feel you are being priced out.

While everyone keeps seeking to board their beloved horse at a top tier Facility, with 24/7 hay, extended “all day” turnout, night check, feed 3x per day, well maintained facility and a trainer on site or the ability to bring your own.

Here are some Averages.

Shavings cost. $7.00- 7.50 per bag/ day=
Or $2575-$3000 per semi bulk

Hay $7.00-8.50 per small bale (40 #)
$125-165 per large square (700 #)
$85-100 per round (800 #)

Stall cleaning $5.00 -$7.00 per stall/day
Manure removal- haul off $1200 per month for 24 horse facility

Grain $24-per 40 # bag at a feed rate of 6 # per day per horse just over 4.2 bags per month $100.80 plus tax & delivery
$115 per horse/month

Labor $15-25 per hour 40 hours/week
$600-1000 PER employee/week (x2 + for very large facilities) **some employees receive board in exchange for extra hours of work.

Stall cost bare $250-350 (lease or what owners should charge per box to cover use & maintenance of said box)

Utilities vary greatly
Water, fuel, heat/gas, electric, etc.
$800-1600/month

Fence posts $26 ea
Fence boards 16’ $29 ea
Water buckets $15 ea
Feed bins $30 ea

Some go what is not factored in:
•Equipment purchase & maintenance
•Storage buildings for hay & equipment to keep fluffy safe from fire risk
•mortgage & taxes
•Farm owner time & experience
•farm owners Significant Other doing maintenance & repairs to keep costs down
•footing maintenance & refreshing

So the facility that y’all are Seeking needs to be charging a minimum of $1215 per month to break even on hay (30 # per day- more if really being fed 24-7 free choice,) grain, shavings (one bag a day) labor (single employee,) utilities and the rent on the “box.”

These figures do not include insurance, maintenance materials, improvements (like footing, lighting upgrades, fans etc) owner experience, wound treatment prior to your arrival, blanketing, etc.

So IF you are paying less than $1200 per month for top quality care and a facility to match- You are NOT paying enough.

11/18/2024

If you aren’t scrubbing poopy butt at least once a week do you even board Senior horses?

11/13/2024

Hide and seek Sherman on this chilly am.

11/01/2024

When it’s 80 in the icebox.

10/30/2024

Everyday is a treasure hunt.