Iron Roots Equestrian

02/04/2023

Hi y’all! It’s been a while! Just a reminder I am an official Redmond Equine trainer! Tinkerbelle was just itching to show off one of their great products so courteously went and got kicked in the neck 🤪 so you could all see First Aid ointment in action! In just three days it took her hot, swollen, scabby patch to a cool smooth bed of healthy, healing skin! I don’t know what I would do without this, our Redmond Poultice and feed supplements! If you are interested in trying Redmond products for yourself, please message or comment with questions and use our friends+fam discount code MARENV20 !!!

31/01/2023

This is Willie’s, “I know you have a Nature’s Valley Honey & Oats granola bar in your pocket…” face 🤣💕🥰

12/01/2023

Silly Stinky girl got a bath tonight…time to get clipped! Boot camp starts once her leg is a little happier 🙄 she couldn’t help herself but to run like a goon in her massive new field lol.

13/11/2022

Tinkerbelle is a BIG fan of breakfast 🤣❤️

05/10/2022

I was so excited to be asked to contribute to this Redmond Equine blog post! Check it out!!!

Looking for help connecting with a horse and becoming a better rider? Get helpful horse riding tips from three pros to improve your skill and horsemanship.

07/08/2022

Swipe to see the cutest face ❤️ ponies are settling into Kentucky living so well! Can’t wait to get them both back in work down here! Tinkerbelle’s feet took a beating with a few pulled shoes right before we left New England so her hooves need some time barefoot to grow out before we get shoes back on and can kick on with her training. I feel Willie would benefit from a body clip before we bust his haunches too much as he has a bit of a naturally coarser coat than, for instance Tink’s extremely fine Thoroughbred coat. It is all an adjustment, but one for the better no doubt!!! We are excited!!!

07/08/2022

Ashley Holzer had a disapointing finish in today’s World Dressage Championships results, after her mare displayed uncharacteristic behaviour

06/08/2022

Do your ponies look this fabulous after a 2 day trailer ride and less than a week settling in in their new digs? If not you need to get some .feed and groceries up in your feed room!!! I don’t think mine lost a pound and they drank like champs even while loaded on the rig!!!

05/08/2022

Horses are amazingly tolerant, giving creatures.

It unfortunately means they’re often exploited due to the ambitions of the human. After their basic needs are met, you must be very thoughtful in the training of your horse.

Your first duty is to preserve the purity of the paces. What does this mean? Walk has 4 beats, trot has 2, canter has 3, gallop has 4. ALWAYS. If not, something is wrong biomechanically, and your horse is at risk of injury. BTW impure paces can usually be detected in a photograph, even though it is only a “moment in time”, AND this applies to all disciplines.

Strapping a horse’s mouth shut with a crank/flash (or other) noseband very often contributes. The fact is, a horse cannot maintain full range of motion with his hind legs if he can’t move his tongue and jaw. FACT.

For jumping, if the horse bolts off - away from, towards, or after a jump, putting on a bigger bit and a martingale will not fix it. If a horse hesitates or stops, pulling out the whip will NEVER make him more confident.

These are just a few hints that your horse is asking for HELP. Go back. Consolidate the basics. Another wonderful thing about horses is they're retrainable. If you ignore the hints, eventually the horse will either break down, or will SHOUT to get your attention, and you will get hurt.

After all, horses are dangerous. We tell everyone that. But actually they are not. We wouldn’t be able to ride them if they were truly dangerous. You know what’s dangerous? People are.

Ponder this excerpt from Franz Mairinger’s book “Horses are made to be Horses”:

I recall an incident in Sydney when we had a lame horse with a very bad tendon, and the rider wanted to start the horse the next day. We asked Roy Stewart, the veterinary surgeon, and he said, ‘Yes, that’s the trouble. People always think that horses are made for man, but that’s not true. Horses are made to be horses’. I thought about that a lot, and decided that if I should write a book I would call it Horses are made to be Horses.

(Franz Mairinger was the first coach of an Australian Olympic Equestrian Team, his excellent book is out of print, but can occasionally be found second hand - buy it if you see it)

(Picture credit Thinking Art )

19/07/2022

In case anyone has been waiting for that Willie vs Tink comparison 🤣🤣🤣 No, Tinkerbelle is not a huge horse but she’s not THAT little— yes, he is just that large lol. Also how fabulous is this guy looking after a little over 6 weeks on his .feed and groceries?!?! Gotta get pics in the sun for a fresh side by side! 😍😍😍

07/07/2022

This is why I prefer to feed “ok” first cut hay. I want it CLEAN, without mustiness or discoloration, not tooooo mature where it’s got those very coarse strands that can contribute to f***l water syndrome or hay belly; but I DON’T want it overly rich either. I don’t want to have to restrict hay to manage weight etc. You can ALWAYS add a few flakes here and there of higher value hay for your harder keepers but they need to have busy work as well. So do the easy keepers wherever possible. You can also of course always add a mixed bucket meal or alfalfa product, soybean meal, flax etc.

If possible, I want hay in front of them at all times. 💪💪💪

CAN YOUR HORSE EAT AT NIGHT?

Horses are grazing animals that have evolved over millions of years to eat low value, high fibre food for up to 18 hours a day – browsing on bushes, trees and shrubs. It is critical for both their physical and mental health that horses have access to low calorie food round the clock. That includes night-time.

Some horse owners seem to believe their horse will spend much of the night sleeping rather than eating and so don't give them much forage. Horses often eat through the night, but of course they can only do this if they actually have something to eat.

A few years ago I analysed 100 of my cases and found that 42 of those horses with behaviour problems were stabled for more than 8 hours without being given any forage at all. This increases the risk of horses developing gastric ulcers, streotypies and a variety of behaviour problems. It also leaves them with absolutely nothing to do except stand waiting until someone comes to feed them or turn them out.

Barbara Hardman MSc from University of Edinburgh presented her research looking at the night-time eating habits of stalled horses at the ISES conference in Canada (2019).

Barbara observed the behaviour of four stabled horses – 2 geldings and 2 mares – when fed either loose haylage on the floor or from two types of slow feeder (the Harmony tricklefeeder and the Pacefeeder). A camera was set up in the stable and photos were taken of of each horse in each condition every 30 seconds from 3pm until 8am the following day.

A small sample size but nonethless the results were very interesting:

When the horses were fed from a slow-feeder, they spent up to 20% more time foraging than if they had loose haylage on the floor of their stall.

The horses ate more haylage from the slow feeders than when it was presented loose on the floor.

When the horses were given loose haylage, they spent 72% more time browsing in their bedding. This could increase the risk of them eating their bedding and having impaction colic as well as inhaling dust and dirt.

Despite the horses eating for longer with the slow feeders, there was no difference in sleep time (either standing or lying down) between the feeding alternatives.

One slow feeder was used as a scratching post and one pony curled up around it to sleep.

Very sadly Barbara reported that the horses stood staring at the stable door from 5am, despite the yard not being busy until 8am. Perhaps waiting for activity, turnout or their morning feed to arrive.

If horses do have to be stabled and/or fed restricted forage diets, this research is extremely useful. Slow-feeders could be used successfully to extend the time that horses spend eating, reducing the risk of them developing gastric ulcers as well as potentially preventing them from eating their bed and any resulting risk of impaction colic.

However, it is vital to ensure horses aren't frustrated by slow feeders or small holed hay nets, this frustration can lead to a number of behaviour problems including aggression.

01/07/2022

Working with Willie the other morning! Such a cool horse, I’m so excited to bring him along. He’s looking LOVELY after almost a month on .feed BigHoss!!! 😍😍😍 can’t wait to go get some fresh pics in the sun 😎😎😎

29/06/2022

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, now is a good time to make preparations to keep your horses, farm animals and pets safe during any fireworks that will be happening in your area.

The graphic below lists some tips to get you started. If you horses are staying out overnight, be sure to check your fencing ahead of time and neutralize any hazards like rocks, branches or holes that could lead to injury if the animals start bolting. If you are really worried about your horse's safety, consult your veterinarian about calming agents and sedatives.

No matter what your Independence Day plans are, above all please remember to practice safety and be considerate of the people and the animals living around you so EVERYONE may have an enjoyable celebration.

Happy 4th! 🇺🇸

16/06/2022

So excited to watch the changes in Willie as he starts on .feed BigHoss!!! If he shapes up anything like my mares it’ll be a treat!

14/06/2022

Following up on last week’s popular post regarding heat stress in horses, and in preparation of the hot temperatures headed our way, today we are going to debunk the myth that allowing a hot, sweaty horse to drink cold water could lead to colic, founder or tie up.

The notion that a hot, recently exercised horse needs to cool down before drinking water is indeed a myth, so be advised that it is best to rehydrate sweaty, hardworking horses without delay. The key, however, is to know how much water to allow at one time! Because of the equine stomach’s relatively small capacity, offer small amounts of water every 20 minutes until the horse drinks his fill rather than letting the animal drink it all at once. A slower reintroduction of water is good common sense, while it makes no sense to hold horses off it.

Remember that water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. The average idle 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day, but that amount may easily double or triple in a hot environment! Therefore, it goes without saying that providing cool, clean water to your horses at ALL times is of paramount importance.

Source: Equus Magazine and AAEP member Dr. Anthony Blikslager. More information about offering a horse water can be found at https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/offering-a-horse-water-after-exercise-8622/

14/06/2022

Iron Roots is thrilled to officially welcome Willie to the team! He arrived a week ago, Saturday. Willie is a client horse who is joining us just in time for some BIG adventures! Stay tuned for more on this cool guy!

06/06/2022

Sometimes horses REALLY test your resilience😭 I have been trying to get Tink back in consistent work for months now- first struggling with some unexplained unevenness behind, finally got the go ahead for work from the vet, start her in a walking program; one week later she gets a hot nail being shod and spends a week getting her feed soaked and packed. Finally sound after that, BAM she mangled her hoof wall tearing a shoe off, and slices the bulb of her heel open 🤦‍♀️ so back to bandages, wrapped feet and some rest for a while but we WILL keep moving forward and get back to the good stuff! Oh to love horses… make us tougher! 💪💪💪🤞🤞🤞also Keratex, The Hoofcare Experts we need a partnership with you— we will be cranking through your hoof hardener 🤦‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

01/06/2022

My official welcome package came a little while ago! I have sample packets galore and pamphlets available for anyone interested in learning about these fabulous products and giving their horse a taste test! DM me if you would like to know more! I’m obsessed with the awesome brand gear they sent us to represent .feed ! The shirt is so nice and the poster will look great hung on my trailer, next to my Redmond Equine banner! I am so thrilled to be a part of such great companies!

30/05/2022

Enjoying Memorial Day weekend atop my branding’s namesake, Iron Mountain ⛰⛰⛰ I spent a tremendous amount of time hacking my childhood pony on the mountain. There are photos of me on the peak, taking in the view, astride him. My “roots” are here; deep in the red soil.

27/05/2022

With all the wild temperature fluctuations we’ve been having— 90 one day, 60 the next— keeping the horses drinking steadily is more important than ever. ReinWater gives me peace of mind that my horses are well hydrated 🙏 add a scoop or two to their water to encourage them to drink up and give them a lil boost of electrolytes👍

22/05/2022

Welcome to the newest member of the Iron Roots Equestrian crew… OUR VERY OWN UNICORN!!! 🤣❤️ We offered to provide pony rides for a special little girl’s rainbow unicorn themed birthday party and we thought nothing less than to provide an actual, bonafide, rainbow unicorn— we just hopped on unicornexpress.com and selected overnight shipping! (Spoiler: this is actually Belle in a costume, shhhh;)

22/05/2022

Belle demonstrating the value of our feeding program- Belle has always been a dark colored little pony but this is the first year she’s just been so totally jet black; and I’ve never seen her shed out her winter coat to such an immediately bright and glossy SHEEN!!! She looks absolutely fabulous thanks to .feed ! Here she is also caught contentedly licking her rock salt! She has worn through the center of three rocks on a rope over time and so the remaining chunks are now just in a rubber feed tub in the floor lol. It’s so important to give your horse free choice salt even if they already get some in their grain. All my horses love their Redmond Rocks and I never have to worry if they’re using them enough. They all also do a great job drinking even in the coldest cold and these crazy 90 temps we’re having which is so important. Dehydration is super dangerous and can cause many serious issues including colic.

12/05/2022

The ponies are in this morning, the fans are running, fly sheets are clean, hung and ready to go! As far as I’m concerned summer has practically arrived! We break the 80s today temperature wise so overnight turnout began yesterday! The girls are SO happy— this is their favorite time of year ❤️❤️❤️

04/05/2022

Y’all…W. O. W. Just wow! This video was taken, in a barn, at night, super dark, crappy phone camera with the flash on after just a single spring cleaning grooming session and she still 😍😍😍 I truly cannot believe these results. I’ve tried countless skin/coat supplements- powders, meals, oils and some I’ve actually been really happy with. But the difference between her coat and flesh while on any of those other products compared to .feed is BLATANT. I think I’ll need sunglasses in the daylight try these incredibly products yourself! Vogel2022 gets you 5% off at checkout!!

01/05/2022

Everyone gets a lil .feed in their meals!!!

30/04/2022

Are YOUR horses this robust and shiny looking just standing out in the pasture, dirty, still shedding??? If the answer is no then you need to get some .feed flax products up in your feed room!!! I cannot believe how spectacular my girls look this early in the year, they’ve only just begun to see grass and they already look like they’ve been on full pasture for 2 months 😍😍😍

29/04/2022

Recently stocked back up on an essential- .feed cold milled flax! Between this and the pastures greening up you’ll need sunglasses to look at my horses pretty soon! 😎😎😎

23/03/2022

So. So. So. True. If you send your horse off to training you will continue to need help if you want the product returned to you to remain the same. Go participate in some instructional sessions with the person who did the work before your horse comes home. Learn the methodology for the maintenance work required. And continue getting lessons/support once your big fur baby is home. 🙌🙌🙌l

Respect is non-transferable. Just because I have earned a horse's respect does not mean that I can hand him over to you and he will respect you the same way. Each person is responsible for gaining each horse's respect. - Clinton

21/03/2022

“Blessed are the broodmares… especially when they’re a Thoroughbred!” 🥰❤️💪🐎

I will never forget what French 5* rider Maxime Livio said at a Young Event Horse seminar I attended a few years ago, when asked which horse of the group he would choose to take

19/03/2022

Surprise! I’m one of the lucky new members of the Outlaw Feed, LLC “Band of Outlaws” affiliate program! Peep Tinkerbelle’s wild transformation in the photos! Pic 1: Tink about a month off the track- still pretty race fit (lean and mean), Pic 2: Tink early April last year- filling out through her ribs pretty well but still fairly scrawny, Pic 3: Tink just a couple days ago, can you say BULKED UP?!?! 💪 There are a few telltale signs that indicate to me you’re really getting somewhere with body condition— the neck filling out and gaining a good arch of the crest; and the depth of their coat color. Tink’s topline now compared to last spring has me absolutely WOWED! Swipe to photo #4 to learn out secret ingredient (spoiler, it’s Outlaw Feed Flax products;)!!! Use code: Vogel2022 at checkout for 5% off to try them for yourself!!!