Barrett Hollow Acres/HH Riders

23/08/2024

Thank you everyone! Please message our page and get your orders in so I know who to prioritize for the next round!

22/08/2024

21/08/2024

Consider this! 🐔
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1hiKMyS7hRWFqVRb/

Send a message to learn more

21/08/2024

Where are all my bakers and culinary folks?
These big brown beauties are larger than our average egg, rich in yolk, and great for baking and cooking.
Up for grabs, unwashed for $4 a dozen. Take 4 dozen for $12.
Message us at the page! Pickups and meets in Colesville, Windsor, Harpursville, Greene (downtown and over from Harpursville) and surrounding areas.

20/08/2024

These mixed tan/brown/olive/chocolate/blue/green dozens are up for grabs @$3 each.
Message our page directly. Meets or pickups in Windsor, Colesville, Harpursville, Kirkwood, Greene.

17/08/2024

10/08/2024

Western omelette to start your day, made with our fresh eggs 🥚 from our free range chickens 🐓🐔

09/08/2024

🐔Have you seen the prices for store eggs? $5- 8 for Brown Eggs, and they likely are weeks, if not months, old!
We have 20 dozen of these FRESH beauties ready to hand out this week. Prices are listed. Text or PM - Meetups available 🐔

23/11/2023

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

04/11/2023

This will be fun! The US Postal Service will issue a set of horse stamps in 2024. The horses were photographed by Stephanie Moon Photography of Ohio and Karen Wegehenkel Horse Photography of Oregon. Other fun stamps coming next year feature turtles, manatees, and bluegrass music!

03/11/2023

"Experience the farm-fresh difference with our eggs!
🌿 Nestled in the heart of the countryside, our hens roam freely, basking in the golden sunshine and feasting on the lushest green pastures.
🥚 Each morning, they lay the most delicious, nutrient-packed eggs, rich in flavor and vibrant in color.
👨‍🌾 We take pride in crafting a truly wholesome experience, delivering the freshest eggs to you.
🥇 Taste the farm-to-table perfection in every bite.
🥗 Elevate your culinary creations with our premium farm-fresh eggs - the secret ingredient to your best dishes! Order now and savor the farm-fresh goodness in every bite. Your taste buds will thank you!
Meetups by appointment. Pickups on Main St Harpursville or at the farm on Welton St.
$4. DZ our carton $3.50 Bring a carton

28/10/2023

The change of seasons is a great time to do a check on our horses, and those in our care as well as our farm or facility. Preparing your horse for the fall season is important to ensure their health and well-being during the changing weather conditions. Checking your facility or farm should be done at least annually with fall being a great time to do the check.
Our "Equine Health and Emergency First Aid" and "Disaster Planning" classes can help! Check out www.equifirstaideastcoast.com for more information.

Here's a checklist to help you get started:

1. **Health Check for the horses:**
- Schedule a veterinary checkup to address any lingering summer issues and prepare for the colder weather.
- Ensure your horse is up to date on vaccinations, deworming, and dental care.

2. **Feeding:**
- Adjust your horse's diet to account for the decreased grazing and increased energy expenditure due to lower temperatures.
- Consider supplementing with hay or forage to compensate for reduced pasture access.
- Remember size, weight, breed, health, and other factors can affect this number.

3. **Water Supply:**
- Ensure your horse has access to clean, unfrozen water at all times. Consider heated water buckets or troughs to prevent freezing. 5 to 10 GL a day on average.
Remember size, weight, breed, health, and other factors can affect this number.

4. **Shelter:**
- Ensure your horse has access to shelter to protect them from harsh weather, such as rain, wind, and cold temperatures.

5. **Blanketing:**
- Depending on your location and your horse's coat condition, consider using appropriate blankets to keep your horse warm. *Appropriate research on both your horse and blanketing is necessary when considering blanketing and should be used as a last resort unless the horse is clipped. Horses’ hair coats are made up of millions of hairs with distinct layers: an outer cuticle, a cortex containing pigmentation, an inner medulla, and a root/ bulb. These layers are meant to protect and warm or cool the horse. Applying a blanket may interfere with this natural process.

6. **Hoof Care:**
- Regularly check and maintain your horse's hooves to prevent issues caused by wet or muddy conditions.

7. **Pasture Management:**
- Monitor the condition of your pastures and consider rotating grazing areas to prevent overgrazing. Be conscious of Fall Laminitis for those sensitive.

8. **Grooming:**
- Regular grooming helps remove mud, dirt, and loose hair, which can help regulate your horse's body temperature.

9. **Exercise and Training:**
- Continue to provide regular exercise and mental stimulation for your horse, even as the weather cools down. Space to move and as much freedom from stalling as possible becomes even more important this time of year as the weather changes and grows cooler, especially for our older, more arthritic equines.

10. **Worm Control:**
- Consult with your veterinarian on a deworming schedule and strategy specific to your horse's needs. Fall is a great time to administer wormers.

11. **Tack Inspection:**
- Check your tack and riding equipment for any signs of wear and tear, and make necessary repairs or replacements before you put them away for winter or take up winter riding. Exposure to the elements can degrade equipment if not cared for properly.

12. **Emergency Kit:**
- Ensure you have an emergency kit that includes first-aid supplies, extra blankets, and other essential items. Refill what has been used and throw out expired products.

13. **Weather Preparedness:**
- Stay informed about the local weather forecasts and be prepared for sudden changes in temperature or weather conditions.

14. **Fly Control:**
- Continue fly control measures as flies may still be active in the fall.

15. **Footing in Riding Arenas:**
- Evaluate the footing in your riding arena to ensure it remains safe for your horse as it can become slippery in wet conditions.

16. **Riding Safety:**
- If you plan to ride, be mindful of the earlier sunsets and decreased visibility. Wear appropriate safety gear.

17. **Facility Structure Check:**
- Checks for structure issues, leaks, etc should be done a couple times a year with fall being crucial, especially where there are weather extremes.

Remember that your horse's specific needs may vary based on factors like age, breed, and individual health. Consult with your veterinarian and consider the local climate and conditions when creating a fall checklist for your horse.
Likewise, your facility may need a professional check by the appropriate service folks if your initial inspection comes up short or you lack the education to determine when fixes or changes are needed.

28/10/2023

Ecuadorian rider Julio Mendoza Loor won historic Pan American Games gold with a horse who lives out 24/7 – and is his “best friend”. This first dressage gold for the country in the Games’ 72-year history went to Julio and Jewel’s Goldstrike, whose freestyle performance earned them a score ...

26/10/2023

22/10/2023

As Winter prep continues, Board Member, Lynn made up a bunch of “squirrel savers” for our water tubs. It is the last time we will swap all of them out before Spring.

Just what are those you ask? Well, these are lifesavers for any squirrels, chipmunks or mice who fall into our stock tanks while trying to get a drink.

Made out of braided hay string, we tie them to the fence and let the other end drape into the water tubs. Any wildlife who falls in has an escape route up and out. These literally save lives.

In the warm months we swap them out each month but in the colder temps they last for quite some time. Replacing the old ones with new ones before the cold hits and having a few extras ready is just another way we save time when the days are shorter and much, much colder.

Are you learning things about Tomten with this series? We hope it gives you great ideas and takeaways that further your understanding of what we do each day as well as offer you ideas you may be able to implement too. It is the little things that make a big impact as we provide peace, protection and possibility.

UPDATE for those trying this. For safety we tie these to the fence with a single hay string so they could break away for safety. We also keep our troughs fairly full. Hope that helps. :)

(Thanks for the photo Julia)

10/10/2023

You’ve bought your dream horse and suddenly, the wheels have come off.

What’s gone wrong? He’s spooky, he won’t go soft and round, he’s hard to catch and now, he’s pulling back when tied! Don’t panic. There’s a chance you’ve bought the wrong horse... but there’s a bigger chance Mr. Right is homesick.

Stay in touch with his last owner or take some lessons with the former trainer, if you can. Stick with his old feed schedule and the same amount of turn out time. Double check that you’re using the same type of bit and that your saddle fits. Just do your utmost, for the next while, to replicate his old riding and turnout.

Yes, get riding. This flies in the face of a lot of advice but you want to keep him moving and keep going over the basics. You want to do this, for as a sale horse, it is likely that he was in a program with daily riding, before he sold. When we bring home this horse and just turn him out, he falls off the turnip cart of life.

I mention this because I have sold so many horses and ponies who were going beautifully at the time of selling and because the new owners were nervous, rather than ask for help, they did not ride the horse. Months later, they begin and now, they've the extra challenge of learning on an unridden, fresh horse.

Now, you mightn't always have to do it this way! But when you brought home your dream horse, you suddenly rocked his world. He has found himself among strange customs, in a strange land. His friends are gone and you’re in his space... a complete stranger who wants to bond. He’s the new kid in town and the new herd wants nothing to do with him.

It helps to meet him half way, by doing things 'his way', for a while. This isn't a contest. Nobody's keeping score. Yet how many of us feel that we need to 'reschool' a horse the minute we get him into our hands? We totally dismiss the idea that we liked this horse well enough last week, to buy him!

If this horse was a child, we'd know instinctively that he was homesick, that he was upset and that he wants to go home.

While he's working on acceptance, please don’t bribe him or try to remake him. Be safe, be fair, be constant. Give him lots of opportunity to work off his troubles. In time—six days? six weeks? six months? If he was a good horse when you bought him, if you do what you need to do to keep him in basic work with empathy and understanding, he will come around.

Remember, a horse’s level of homesickness has little to do with the level to which he is trained!

This is the horse who was (and still is) a good horse, though he may well feel different from the horse you met and bought. This is not the horse who was somehow 'misrepresented' and sold to you as a whole other bag of goods.

While many horses can change homes and not blink an eye or look back, there are a similar percentage of good, well-educated horses who have trouble with fundamental change in their lives (either in handling, herd life or location), or are challenged with regulating their emotions and stress levels.

They need patience and understanding. We sometimes forget that, in the excitement of writing that cheque...

05/10/2023

One of the first things that many riders are taught is "DON'T let your horse graze while you are riding him."

One of the first things that distance riders are taught is "DO let your horse graze while you are riding him."

The reason that some say "don't" is to prevent the annoying habit of having the horse sn**ch at every leaf or dropping his head to grab at grass.

The reason that others say "do" is so that the horse maintains gut activity over time, has what are called "active gut sounds."

This is one simple example of how what is incorrect in one phase of the horse world is just the opposite in some other. There are many such examples.

29/09/2023

Lady and her horse on a snowy day in 1899.

24/09/2023

https://heelsdownmag.com/riders-regret/

I would never wish what I went through this past year on anyone, but no matter what happens with you, don’t have any rider’s regret.