Wild 2 Mild: The journey of gentling mustangs

08/13/2024

Sound on😉

08/12/2024

08/12/2024

1 YEAR AGO TODAY…glad he’s way more chill now & the baby brain & reactions are decreasing! He’s slowly becoming a good “citizen “!😊

08/10/2024

Good information here!

Risk Factors for Heat Stress and Heath Stroke in Horses

One of the main factors for heat stress in horses is the heat index. “If you add the temperature to the humidity and that number is over 150, the risk of having a heat-related problem in a horse is extremely high,” Staten said. Therefore, horses in hot, dry climates are less at risk than horses in humid climates.

Staten said acclimation is important for horses moving to hot climates. Horses that are morbidly obese are at an elevated risk, as are horses with uncontrolled PPID or anhidrosis. “They’re probably going to need more management of their actual disease process and the lack of sweating,” Staten said of these compromised horses.

Managing Horses With Heat Stress and Stroke

While some horses with heat stress can recover without veterinary intervention, Staten recommends treating any horse showing visible signs of impairment due to heat emergently. “It can progress to heat stroke very fast, and it’s hard to tell which ones are going to get better and which ones are going to go into that more life-threatening heat stroke,” she said.

Management options for heat stress and stroke are similar, though the prognosis is much better for horses with heat stress. It primarily involves cooling the horse down with cold water or ice and rehydrating them. Staten recommends focusing on areas with large vessels close to the surface, such as inside the legs. She has had success with soaking a bed sheet in ice cold water and laying it over the horse as an evaporative cooler. The owner should start this intervention while they wait for their veterinarian to arrive. The veterinarian can then start the horse on IV fluids.

Horses will likely need electrolyte supplementation, and they should have access to water. They should be in an area with good ventilation and have a fan on them. If the horse is down, the veterinarian can use anti-inflammatories to improve their comfort.

The prognosis for heat stress is generally very good, and the horse can rebound within an hour. For heat stroke, Staten said the prognosis for survival is likely poor, especially if the horse is collapsed.

Following an episode of heat stress, Staten said it is important to determine why the episode occurred. Does the horse need shade? Is the barn poorly ventilated? Was the horse transported on a hot day? Is the horse fat, or does it have an endocrine disease? After stabilizing the horse, Staten generally rechecks him the following day and works with the owner to develop a plan to prevent the situation from happening in the future.

Preventing Heat Stress

Staten described some strategies for preventing heat stress in horses. These include acclimating the horse properly to the conditions, riding in the early morning or evening, and monitoring the horse for signs of dehydration, which might cause their urine to become dark and concentrated. Owners should provide horses with multiple containers of water in the pasture, and they can throw treats in the water to encourage their horses to drink more. If the horse has an endocrine disease, it is important to get their condition under control before putting them back to work; Staten sees heat stress most frequently in horses with uncontrolled Cushing’s disease. Clipping older horses with shaggy coats can also help prevent heat stress.

08/08/2024

08/06/2024

Time. Patience. Respect. All lead to trust.

08/06/2024

08/05/2024

08/05/2024

Dang Bridger has grown a lot this year! A year ago today & today!

08/04/2024

Trailer loading at Liberty. Starting with no pressure so they can learn it’s not a scary thing. Build from there.

08/04/2024

“It Came With the Horse”
-
We bought a horse.

Yes, we bought a horse for something fun to do
BUT…
He came with chores.
Chores every morning and night.

He came with stubbornness and attitude that challenges little minds to grow and think on the fly.

He came with hair to be brushed, a tail to be braided and hooves to be picked out.

He came with responsibility to practice.
Practice daily. Practice weekly. JUST Practice.

HE CAME AS A TEACHER.
Teaching daily responsibly.
Teaching persistence.
Teaching courage.
Teaching trust is earned.
Teaching strength and respect of personal space.
Teaching love.
Teaching friendship.
Teaching happiness.

*Growing Up* came with the horse.

08/02/2024

That would be nice🤣

Right?!?

08/01/2024

Host a Fundraiser for St. Jude Kids

07/27/2024

Let’s go back to basics:

1. Horses are not machines, tools or performing monkeys. They are living, breathing animals who feel pain, fear and stress just as we do.

2. It is not a right to work with or ride horses, it is a privilege and should always be treated as such.

3. Fear and force based training has no place in our sport, even though many governing bodies turn a blind eye in the name of “performance”, the bottom line is, fear or force may get you there faster, but it won’t get you there to stay.

4. We are not superior to horses. Our aim should always be for our horses to want to work with us, not for us. We may have a degree of control, but that is not a free pass to exploit it for our own gain.

5. Politics, world rankings, titles and experience are completely obsolete when it comes to calling out behaviour that does not align with horse welfare being a priority.

6. Horses are forgiving, more forgiving than we often deserve. We should be aware of this and always seek to reciprocate that forgiveness when they don’t understand what we have asked of them and respond in an unfavourable way.

Arguing amongst each other simply furthers the negative perception of our sport for those on the outside looking in. The internet doesn’t actually need your opinion.

Let’s all agree that changes are needed, but that change starts at home. Stop wasting energy shouting from either side of the fence. Redirect that energy into being the change you want to see, let’s return our sport to the basics and remember what it always has been, and always should be about:
THE HORSE.
*copied
Photo credit- Tina Thompson

07/25/2024

One of the most intriguing parts of a Mustang is its freeze brand. Freeze marking is a permanent, unalterable, and painless way to identify each horse and b***o as an individual associated with the BLM. On the other hand, the U.S. Forest Service does not freeze brand horses, they have chips. Which is why some mustangs have freeze brands and some don’t.

Post a picture of your Mustang’s unique freeze brand in the comments below! 👇🏻

07/23/2024

I Am A Mustang

I come from the lost and unwanted
runaways & throwaways
But I was vital in settling this nation

I am the one with:
Bone strong as steel
Hoof thick as rock
Hide tough as armor

I have been called worthless
But I am priceless

I have no pedigree, no papers
But need none to prove my loyalty

I am America's past
I am America's future

I Am A Mustang

Author: Darlene Stevenson
Artist: Tina Thompson

07/22/2024

Would this be you? 😂😂😂

07/21/2024

😊

07/18/2024

Unpopular opinion:
Know when to back off.
Horses are not machines. Make sure you find a trainer that knows when to push, and when to back off.
Get you a trainer that pays attention to your horse and their needs.
Some horses are such people pleasers, such hard workers, so trusting and willing, that they'd follow people into their own breaking point; and the wrong people will push them past it.

Make sure you find a trainer that recognizes the limits in your horse, and doesn't try to experiment with their mental or physical soundness for faster results.

Like it or not, sometimes days off teach your horse more than constant daily pushing will.

They cannot speak, but the right trainers can still hear them. Make sure they listen.

***copied***
Picture credit-Tina Thompson

07/17/2024