Heaven Sent Farm, LLC

09/27/2025

09/25/2025

🚨Attention neighbors of Sparks Glencoe in particular Glencoe Rd.

09/24/2025

The toxicity of the “ride them through it” and “be a gritty rider” mindset…

The horse world has built a culture around the idea that the epitome of being a good rider is being able to ride a horse through anything.

A refusal to get off.

That endangering yourself (and in many cases, also the horse) is a badge of honour.

That it’s an inherently admirable trait to evade groundwork and try to do everything from in the saddle, even when the horse is showing you that they are struggling.

This belief system has led to many people growing up putting themselves in unnecessarily dangerous situations with their horses.

I was one of those people.

I took immense pride in my ability to ride through horses broncing, rearing and otherwise panicking.

I am lucky I didn’t end up with worse injuries than I have. I put myself in a lot of dangerous situations that were avoidable.

All because I was taught a narrative that to get off the horse is to be weak.

That dismounting was a failure. That it was letting the horse “win.”

But, training isn’t a battle.

And if your training resembles a battleground, you’re doing something wrong.

Creating lasting confidence in horses often involves meeting them where they are, not forcing them to work through increasing stress until they either fatigue physically and stop fighting or mentally shutdown.

We should be encouraging riders to know when to stop when they or their horses are struggling with anxiety and lack of confidence.

We shouldn’t be trying to push people to ignore the alarm bells that their brain is sending them and ride through it anyways.

Ground work is a powerful training tool.

Getting off the horse, even if just for a short pause, can be a powerful reset.

It can allow both horse and rider to regulate.

We need to do away with the archaic “cowboy on” mentality that leads people to believe that they need to endanger themselves in order to become a good trainer.

The best trainers and riders are the ones who learn to operate in a way where they avoid stressing horses to the point of explosives.

Where they can develop a horse without the extreme anxiety.

The best trainers make training look quiet and easy.

Sure, it might not be as entertaining and dramatic to watch.

But it is infinitely better for both horse and rider.

09/21/2025

“Trust me, this horse is pampered.”

🫧🧽What People Often Think Pampering Means:

• A spotless horse with not a speck of dirt or sand on them

• Braided and kept in permanent “show-ready” condition

• Living in an isolated stall inside a spotless, polished barn

• Bathed daily, sometimes multiple times a day

• Tack gleaming, polished until it shines

• Constantly clipped whiskers, ears, and muzzle for a “clean” look

• Limited turnout so they stay “safe” and don’t get a scratch

• Ridden or exercised on strict schedules so they stay trim and polished, even if it doesn’t match their natural rhythms (“he only has to work for one hour a day”)

All of these things make HUMANS feel good. They fit OUR picture of luxury. But horses don’t define pampering the same way we do.

🐴 What Pampering Looks Like to Horses:

• A full hay net or grass buffet so their stomachs are never empty

• Rolling in dirt or sand to scratch, shed hair, and coat themselves naturally (like in this photo 🤣)

• Mutual grooming with friends, scratching each other’s withers in exactly the right spot

• Safe Turnout with space to move freely, stretch their legs, or gallop when they feel like it

• Shelter they can choose to step into or out of depending on weather

• Comfortable footing that keeps hooves strong and joints supported

• Play and exploration, whether it’s a new log to chew, a ball to nudge, or just time to be curious

• Positive interactions with humans, where training is cooperative instead of coercive

✨ A horse isn’t pampered because they look like a showpiece. They’re pampered when their needs are met in the way horses understand.

09/21/2025

Top picture: Wild horses grazing

Bottom picture: Domesticated horse grazing

What's the difference?

#1 THE GRASS ITSELF

In the top picture the grassland is long, stalky and sparse and low in sugar.

In the bottom picture the grass is shorter, greener, higher in sugar and starch and overseeded with higher sugar and starch grasses.

#2 MOVEMENT

In the top picture horses travel miles per day between resources.

In the bottom picture horses go into a small paddock and then a stable resulting in very limited movement.

#3 HERD MEMBERS

In the top picture the horses live in a herd.

In the bottom picture the horse is turned out alone. As is common practice.

#4 TERRAIN

In the top picture the horses travel over varied terrain during their miles of travel. Stimulating their hooves and creating natural wear.

In the bottom picture the horse only travels from field to stable on soft ground and is traditionally shod, restricting the expansion of the hoof to absorb impact and blocking any conditioning over terrain.

NATURAL HORSE VS DOMESTICATED HORSE

Physically, mentally and emotionally? No difference.

And we wonder why horses don't thrive on traditional keeping?

This is why we have health conditions such as laminitis, EMS, obesity, colic etc, and diagnosis' that are better managed on track such as Cushings or arthritis that are commonly a struggle to manage on traditional set ups. Also, behavioural conditions such as weaving, cribbing, box walking, being difficult to handle, explosive, rearing/bucking etc under saddle and in hand are all caused by either/and, incorrect or limited turnout, high sugar feed/forage and a lack of herd turnout.

This. is. why.

*Both images are from Google images and I do not own them.

09/21/2025

A super cool comparison of my girl Emma, 12 years apart!

She's 30 now, making her 18 in the first photo. It's been such an honor to watch her grow up (I've known her since she was 9, and have friends who knew her as young as 4/5)) and to have spent the last 12+ years as each others♥️🐴

I'll have to pull out some of her older photos too, but she truly is my poster pony for senior care and I love sharing her story, which is also the story of my journey learning about true horse care through our total of 20 years of knowing each other.

My oldest forever friend 🥰

09/21/2025

09/20/2025