Heaven Sent Farm, LLC

12/29/2025

The Maryland State Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Trout told The Equiery that it received confirmation today that a trail riding horse in Cecil County with neurological symptoms tested positive today for EHV-1. Intrastate CVI rules will remain in effect through the end of January. According to Dr. Trout:...

12/29/2025

Tying a horse in an unbreakable manner and leaving them for hours to give up fighting is the sort of abuse that needs to be left only to bad guys in horse girl movies. Extreme acts of flooding used to shut down a horse like this and laying a horse down or tying them to another animal is outdated and barbaric. Its not worth your horse's physical or mental wellbeing, if a trainer suggests this, run, don't walk, run away. This is disney villian level horse breaking. Try training your horse with an ounce of compassion.

12/29/2025

12/26/2025

Some may not agree with me on this, but “OLD” is not an acceptable excuse for a horse being skinny. Yes, senior horses are harder to feed. Their teeth wear down, digestion changes, and they burn calories differently. Keeping weight on them takes more effort, more money, more time, and more intention. That part is true.

But thin is not the same as skinny.

An older horse may lose some topline. They may look softer, less muscled, ribs showing a bit, a little tucked as the years add up. That can be normal. Ribs clearly showing, hips sharp, spine protruding, and no padding anywhere? That is not age. That is neglect.

Old age doesn’t lower the standard of care. It raises it. Senior horses require regular dental care, appropriate feed, parasite control, and often multiple meals a day. If you cannot meet those needs, the kindest choice is to ask for help or make different arrangements.

They carried us for years. They worked, taught, and trusted us. Growing old should not mean growing hungry.

12/17/2025

Confession: I used to hit horses.

I grew up riding from age 4 and was taught that I needed to “put horses in their place” when they were bad.

I hit horses if they tried to nip me. I hit them if I felt they were getting into my space. I would smack them for just about any behaviour I viewed as “bad.”

It was normal to me, everyone around me did it and the adult role models teaching me told me to do it.

Initially, I didn’t want to.

But, I was told that if I didn’t do it, I would “let the horses walk all over me” and would teach them behaviours that would get myself and others hurt.

Such is the story for so many equestrians because hitting horses is far too normalized, even now, 25 years after I was initially taught to.

We’re taught that it doesn’t matter because “they’re big animals” and “they do way worse to each other in the field.”

But we’re not horses. And healthy herds aren’t routinely beating each other up.

Training through fear based methods that view unwanted behaviour as horses intentionally misbehaving sets us up to be way too comfortable being harsh with horses.

It makes physical violence a default reaction to unwanted behaviour.

And it’s so unhealthy!

Across species, so much research has shown how unethical and harmful physical punishment is.

It suppresses behaviour without dealing with what causes it 🚫

It makes the victim less likely to trial new behaviours out of fear of being hit, thereby less engaged in learning 🚫

It creates a forceful relationship between the teacher and learner 🚫

It can increase reactivity and aggression in the victim 🚫

It doesn’t show what the RIGHT answer is 🚫

It’s time to de-normalize physical violence in the horse world.

Their size doesn’t equate to a lack of capacity to feel pain or fear.

And if punishment were making people safer, we wouldn’t see so many dangerous circumstances continuously occurring in the horse world.

Listen to the science on punishment and learn alternatives to hitting your horse.

It is not ethical OR effective training.

12/16/2025

12/15/2025

As the cold winter weather trudges on, here are some important tips and reminders to keep your equine companions safe during extreme weather. ❄️

1. While lots of hay is ideal for horses to eat to keep warm, now is NOT the time to introduce a round bale if they’ve never had access to one before. It may be more work, but keep throwing them their normal hay source, just more frequently.

2. Similarly, if your horse is not used to being in a stall, now is NOT the time. The stress of a major change and the decreased activity can be risk factors for colic. Be sure they have access to shelter, hay, and drinkable water but let them move around if they choose to do so.

3. Horses that are thin, older, or fully body clipped are those most at risk in extreme weather.

4. Well-fitting blankets are great but be sure that horses do not get sweaty under them, or that the blankets don’t soak through if snow or rain covered. Wet, cold and covered is worse than dry, cold and naked.

5. Some of the highest risk times are when the temperatures hover right around freezing, as that can result in sleet/freezing rain/ice that can make horses wet and therefore colder. Slippery footing is a concern, too.

6. If using electric water heaters, be sure they are functioning and not shocking horses. Take your gloves off and stick your hand in the water (briefly!!!) to double check.

7. Entice your horses to consume extra water by flavoring a bucket, adding electrolytes to their meals, or soaking their meals in warm water.

8. The tips of your horses' ears can be at risk for frostbite. Putting on a WATERPROOF ear bonnet or other WATERPROOF ear covering can protect them from wind chills.

If you have any questions or concerns about keeping your horses safe this winter, contact your veterinarian for advice.