Crescent Moon Ranch & Stables, LLP

09/28/2024

"No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.

No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.

No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."

No. 9. If the horse can't learn to accept what you're doing, what you’re doing isn't any good.

No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.

No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.

No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.

No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.

No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.

No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.

No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.

No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.

No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.

No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.

No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.

No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.

No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.

No. 23. Never fight the oats.

No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

~Bill Steinkraus

📸 Sister

09/23/2024

I copied this from another private page and it is worth the read...
The word "euthanasia" comes from the Greek words, "Eu" (good) and Thanatos (death), with its meaning to be death without suffering. Domesticated horses innately live in the present and don't really concern themselves with much other than when they will be turned out to pasture or when their next meal is coming via their caretaker. A horse's brain is wired with a strong flight instinct that has them flee when they feel they are in danger. They run in herds to utilize a collective instinct that is ruled over by a dominant horse whose job it is to keep them all safe. The herd benefits from a leader whom all other horses submit to. Often, in domesticated horses you will find a lead mare that is the dominant horse, where in the wild a stallion would hold this protective position. In either scenario, it is the horse that has proven itself by temperament and physical prowess to be the one most capable of watching over the herd that gets the job. When wild horses travel together and one may be old or ailing, it is common for the herd leader to expel that horse from the healthy herd in order to increase the survival of the overall herd. This may seem very brutal to us, as ostracizing the compromised animal is likely to cause it to fall prey to a predator thus increasing the chances of the herd's survival. But this is instinct and that is how it is in the wild.
Horses in captivity do not run the risk of this kind of outcome but their fate may be less than kind at times because modern veterinary medicine can keep an sick horse or a horse in pain alive longer than they would in their natural herd environment. Humans think in completely different terms and our ability to understand the concept of the future can at times influence our judgement on what really is in the best interest of our horse's quality of life. When we make the decision to euthanize an animal, where does our emotional pain actually arise from? Are we heartsick because our animal will be released from suffering and/or pain? Does our emotional pain come from the fact that we are the ones to make the decision and plan for our animal's mercy killing? Or, is it that we really don't want to remove that animal from our own life because it is too painful for us to look at the future without them? My guess is that the irreversible decision and the personal loss is simply more than many of us can handle. So we fill our horses with all manner of drugs that relieve pain and suffering, possibly prolonging its life for a time, but knowing full well that it is likely a band aid solution on a terminal condition that will never be remedied. This we do for a horse that has no real concept of the future.
I have heard the phrase more times than I can count, " I'll know when my horse will have had enough" or " I'll be able to tell by the look in his/her eyes", "I'll know the time has come when my horse can't get up or doesn't want to eat". I fail to understand why people have to wait for their horse to have trauma and drama in order to let them go humanely. Why can't the decision be made to let our beloved horses go before it gets horrible for them. We know they are hurting or ailing, we know it isn't going to ever get better. We also know that most of the pain medications are hard on a horse's stomach yet many keep on pushing medicine into their equine loves because they (the human) cannot handle the day their horse's death becomes a reality. I have a great deal of admiration for those of you that decide to let your old or ailing horse go before the harsh winter comes or before the scorching heat of the summer beats down upon them. This is what I think love is all about. It is putting the word love into action and knowing that you are able to make a decision that is in the very best interest of an animal that has willingly carried you through streams and over bridges, up and down hills and brought you home safely.
In the world of horse owners, we are the ones that make the final decision that would have been made by the herd leader in the wild. We have the ability to schedule a time and place, to make sure our horse is pre-sedated so that the final syringe can be given more precisely to a calm animal, thus ensuring a death with no unnecessary drama. Please think about what your horse has meant to you and be willing to advocate for its peaceful passing before it becomes a traumatic situation for you both.
,

09/20/2024

🐴 DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS: To maintain your balance ... 🐴

Imagine that your upper body is like a broomstick and your horse is a hand trying to balance it. If your body (the broomstick) starts to tip, your hand (horse) will automatically move underneath to keep it up. You cannot lean right and expect your horse to go left.
~ Great Britain Olympic gold and silver medalist Laura Tomlinson

09/19/2024

09/13/2024

SUCCESS DEMANDS THESE 6 THINGS:

1. HARD-WORK
Don't believe in luck, believe in hard work.
Stop trying to rush the process or searching for a shortcut. There is none.

2. PATIENCE
If you are losing the patience, you are losing the battle. First nothing happens, then it happens slowly and suddenly all at once. Most people give up at stage one.

3. SACRIFICE
If you don't sacrifice for what you want, then what you want becomes the sacrifice. Everything has its price. The question is: Are you ready to pay it for the life you desire? Are you willing to sacrifice the easy and the comfortable now for the results you want....the results you NEED?

4. CONSISTENCY
Consistency is what transforms average into excellence. Without consistency, you will never achieve greater success.

5. DISCIPLINE
Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. There will be days when you don't “feel” like doing it. You have to push through those days regardless of how you feel.

6. SELF-CONFIDENCE
Confidence is, I'll be fine if they don't like me.
Love yourself is important. Take care of yourself. Learn to say NO. If it's a NO to you, it needs to be a NO to them. The right people will stick around and the wrong will disappear. Confidence comes from taking care of yourself and from being true to yourself.

YOU DESERVE THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS!

We only get one chance at this thing called life....
MAKE IT COUNT!

📸: Jared H Searcy

09/04/2024

Crescent Moon Ranch & Stables, LLP has immediate openings in our Main Barn, Shed Row Barn, and Field! All stalls are 12' x 12' with 12' x 24' attached runs. Board costs include feeding/watering (alfalfa and/or bermuda) 2-3 times daily, stall cleaning, on site security, etc. Other amenities include 2 hot walkers, outdoor arena, covered arena, turn outs, round pens, wash rack, and miles and miles of open land to trail ride and condition your horse. Visit our website for more information and prices. Quiet facility with no drama.
www.CrescentMoonRanch.net

08/27/2024

http://stories.endurance.net/2000/10/beating-metabolic-pull-part-i-hydration.html?m=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawE6JvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeZDUTtjCTX5navq2dbFT6Bz-Y-knhoW5jlIx0Z-NFKX_NdKu-P1k-qVJQ_aem_lEMWB_EPFhGxsfU18hsnXw

Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2000 Susan Garlinghouse, MS My belief has always been that if a rider understands some of the why in nut...

08/03/2024

06/25/2024

Worth the 2 minute read...

A bit of a rant today in attempt to encourage riders to use their critical thinking skills and not do something because 'so-and-so told me' or 'big name rider' does it.

I have been meaning to voice my concern about nosebands for a very long time. Thanks to Becks Nairn who posted a great video on her public page about the anatomy of the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) today, with even deeper detail on her Patreon, to give me a reminder to voice my concerns. If you're squeamish it's a dissection video so beware.

I am literally gobsmacked at the number of educated and well meaning equestrians who still insist on tight nosebands and flashes on their horses. This is not limited to newbies to the sport, but encompasses those at the highest levels and education. In this day and age of easy access to evidence based, scientific documentation of virtually any topic you can imagine, how is it that equestrians fail to recognize the importance of a horses need to mobilize their jaw in order to have full proprioception of their legs, not to mention the strain created as they are trying to open their mouths against this forced closure. Read - Headache, TMJ pain amongst others.

If you ride with me, one of the first things I will do as a conscientious coach is check your tack. I will always remove flashes and loosen nose bands with the riders permission - educating them on why this is important. When I ask why the rider feels the need to have the noseband and/or flash too tight, the number one response is, 'my coach told me to have it this tight'. The second, 'my horse fusses with the bit and opens his mouth' or my favorite, 'to hold the bit in place'. Just think about that one for a moment.

A couple things. Bit fit and acceptance needs to be taught from the ground. Few are skilled enough to teach it from the saddle. If your horse chews softly on the bit it's not a bad thing. I would far rather have a mobile jaw than a clamped shut, tense jaw.
If you think tying the horses mouth shut is going to save you from a horse running off with you by getting the bit between his teeth - that is a huge training issue. A good stop is a must before we ever get in the saddle. We need to go back and train the halt from soft pressure from the ground and then add from our seat in the saddle.

Having taken a considerable amount of body work and energy work courses with horses over the years, I have developed the ability to 'feel' the horse. Call me woo-woo or a quack or whatever you like, but many more horses than we realize have headaches and jaw pain from trying to escape bit pressure with their mouth tied shut. The very least I can do, and I feel it is my responsibility as an ethical coach, to relieve the horse from that pressure and educate the rider as to why it's detrimental. Control comes from the seat not the hands, (except in emergencies, then all bets are off).

So, try this. Hook your thumbs under either side of your jaw and loop your fingers over the bridge of your nose. Clamp as tightly as you dare, then try to open your jaw. My guess is that you will let go of the fingers across your nose before very long. If you are able to hold it, your jaw will begin ache and you will very likely get a temporal headache from the strain. Not to mention the discomfort on the bridge of your nose.

The ability of humans to have cognitive dissonance when it comes to the equipment we use on our horses just boggles my mind. I know we love them. Why then can we subject them to such a cruel practice of tying their mouth shut??

Google 'hyoid', 'TMJ' in horses. Look at the images and read about their function. Education is power and education can make us more empathetic to the harm and ultimately dis-function we cause to our horses.

I was going to include one of the many horrific photos of dogs with their mouths tied shut for impact. I just can't do it. Think of these images when you're tightening that noseband or flash next ride. I highly doubt you'd do this to your dog.

Instead, I'm going to leave you with a lovely image of my friend and colleague who visited recently, Lauren Phelan-Rivard, owner/operator of Bellrock Stables in Kingston, Ontario on my mare Gracie. Note there is no noseband yet the horse looks relaxed and effortless. ❤️

06/24/2024

🐴 Aquí hay 15 hechos interesantes sobre el cerebro de un caballo:

1. El cerebro de un caballo es relativamente pequeño comparado con el tamaño de su cuerpo, y representa sólo alrededor del 0,1 % de su peso total.

2. A pesar de su pequeño tamaño, los caballos tienen cerebros muy complejos, con una corteza cerebral altamente desarrollada, la parte del cerebro responsable del pensamiento consciente, la toma de decisiones y la memoria.

3. Los caballos pueden aprender y recordar tareas complejas, como navegar por un curso de salto o realizar una rutina de doma, a través de un proceso llamado aprendizaje asociado.

4. Como los humanos, los caballos tienen un hemisferio izquierdo y un hemisferios derecho en el cerebro, cada uno con funciones especializadas. El hemisferio izquierdo es responsable del procesamiento de la información lógica y analítica, mientras que el hemisferio derecho está más involucrado en el procesamiento emocional y el pensamiento creativo.

5. Los caballos tienen una gran memoria y pueden recordar personas, lugares y experiencias concretas durante muchos años.

6. Los caballos pueden aprender por observación, y a menudo pueden adquirir nuevos comportamientos y habilidades simplemente observando a otros caballos o humanos.

7. Los caballos tienen un sentido del tacto muy sensible y pueden detectar incluso la más mínima presión o movimiento en su piel. Esto les ayuda a responder a las sutiles señales de tu motorista o guía.

8. Los caballos pueden procesar información visual muy rápida y precisa, permitiéndoles evitar posibles peligros y navegar por su medio ambiente con facilidad.

9. Los caballos son animales sociales y dependen de la comunicación no verbal para interactuar con otros caballos de su manada. Esta comunicación es facilitada por el cerebro del caballo, que puede interpretar cambios sutiles en el lenguaje corporal, expresiones faciales y vocalizaciones.

10. En última instancia, como todos los animales, los caballos tienen una personalidad única y rasgos individuales que se moldean por sus experiencias, genética y entorno, todo lo cual se refleja en su función cerebral y comportamiento.

11. Los caballos tienen un fuerte sentido del olfato y su bulbo olor, que procesa los olores, es relativamente grande comparado con otras partes de su cerebro.

12. El cerebro, que es responsable de coordinar el movimiento y el equilibrio, también es relativamente grande en caballos. Esto se debe a que los caballos deben ser capaces de moverse rápida y eficientemente para escapar de los depredadores o navegar por terrenos difíciles.

13. Los caballos tienen un umbral de dolor muy alto, que se cree que está relacionado con cómo sus cerebros procesan las señales de dolor. Aunque esto puede ser beneficioso en algunas situaciones, también puede significar que los caballos no muestran signos obvios de dolor, lo que hace más difícil para sus cuidadores detectar y tratar los problemas de salud subyacentes.

14. El hipocampo, una parte del cerebro involucrado en el aprendizaje y la memoria, está particularmente bien desarrollado en caballos. Esto les permite recordar no sólo experiencias concretas, sino también conceptos y patrones generales que pueden aplicar a nuevas situaciones.

15. Finalmente, los estudios han demostrado que los caballos, como otros animales, son capaces de experimentar emociones como el miedo, la felicidad y la ira. Se cree que estas emociones están mediadas por el sistema límbico, un grupo de estructuras cerebrales interconectadas que juegan un papel clave en la regulación del estado de ánimo y el comportamiento .