StarLight Farms and Feed

04/08/2025

Shims can be used in the right situation...but definitely not in this situation.

04/08/2025

🌱SMART GRAZING! 🌱 Spring is here, which means the arrival of grass, but knowing when to let your horses 🐴 graze and why and why can be confusing. 🤔

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy, like sugar, that can be stored for later use; essentially, it’s how plants make their food. Sunlight directly influences when sugars in the grass are at their highest. Grasses accumulate sugars during the day, with sugar levels peaking in the late afternoon and evening.

USE CAUTION WHEN WEATHER IS COOL OVERNIGHT
During cool nights (below 40°F), plants use their sugars for growth at a slower rate, resulting in higher sugar concentrations in the grass the following morning. Spring and Fall are especially prone to temperature fluctuations, so use extra caution during these seasons.

HORSES AT RISK
- Overweight horses, including those with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or insulin resistance, are particularly vulnerable to laminitis due to the increased insulin sensitivity caused by high sugar intake.

- Fructans, a type of sugar found in grasses, can contribute to digestive issues like colic and hindgut acidosis. Take extra caution if your horse's digestive system is sensitive to change.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES:
- Incorporate a dry lot or track system if possible to reduce/eliminate intake of high-sugar grass.

- Introduce horses to spring grass slowly if they are not on full turnout to allow their gut microbiome to adjust to the increase in sugars and avoid digestive upset.

- Use grazing muzzles during turnout to restrict grass intake and reduce sugar consumption, especially if your horse is at risk (see above).

- Avoid overgrazing and maintain pasture health. When plants experience stress, such as drought, overgrazing, or nutrient deficiency, they may store more sugars to conserve energy and survive until conditions improve.

**This graphic is only a guide. Factors such as location, weather, grass species, and your horse’s health history should be considered. Consult your veterinarian if you have questions.**

04/04/2025

Yes! Be THAT kinda rider!

❤

Meme credit to Muddy Mayhem

04/03/2025

This! This is what I'm trying to relay to my students.

04/01/2025

Jim Wofford said, "Good riders sit." The two left photos, a HJer and an eventer, are riding in the same position that some call a 2-point. The two right photos are MacLain Ward top and Bruce Davidson below. The obvious difference is that the riders on the left ride up out of the saddle with straighter knees and they depend on the horse's neck for their balance. This makes these riders "top heavy" and their movements are more apt to interfere with their horse's balance.

Ward and Davidson ride closer to the saddle, lowering the center of gravity of the horse and rider pair, thus creating greater stability. Yes, I know Davidson is in a jump, but I picked this image to make the point that he demonstrates a light or half seat over a jump, which requires great strength in the lower body that the two left riders seem to lack. Davidson rode in a light or half seat, not perched like the riders on the left, except when he needed to sit deeply for increased engagement.

The bottom image by Susan Harris shows the difference between the current "2-point position" and the original 2-point. The left 2-point is actually a 3-point position because it has the two points of balance in the rider's feet, plus a 3rd point of balance with the hands on the neck. The original 2-point is shown on the right with only the two points of balance in the feet.

The authentic 2-point is a dynamic or moving balance independent of the horse's balance and motion. An independent balanced seat is safer because if the horse stumbles, the rider can maintain their balance and not automatically be affected by a horse's sudden imbalance.

The new "2-point", that is actually a 3-point, is a static balance tied to the horse's balance. This position makes the rider a passenger dependent on the horse's balance. In this static dependent balance, if the horse stumbles the rider, riders lacking their own independent balance can more easily be pitched forward even to the point of being launched forward onto the ground.

The 3-point is rewarded by judges even though it is a static unbalanced position forward of the horse's center of balance and thus dangerous if the horse loses their balance. This is one of the primary examples of how several disciplines have invented their own isolated discipline "horsemanships" with elements that are impractical, ineffective and sometimes dangerous. The worst part is that these discipline idiosyncrasies make the horses' job more difficult.

I have a video on my YouTube channel that discusses this in greater detail www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IEpQmApva0&t=28s

03/19/2025

Horse people. If you know you know.

03/18/2025

02/27/2025

Credits to Naomi Tavian for this one.

02/27/2025

🐴DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS🐴 Understand How Crooked Riding Affects Your Horse ...

Load a wheelbarrow heavily to one side as in the center illustration. Now push the wheelbarrow, and feel how it pulls to the weighted side and how you are forced to lean in that direction to compensate. That’s how your horse feels when you sit unevenly in the saddle, as shown in the left image. When you sit evenly, the horse will be centered and balanced as shown in the illustration on the right.
— Sharon Sweet

02/20/2025

Saddle Fit for Horse and Rider