Paulette's Equestrian Services LLC

22/02/2024

20/02/2024

Enjoying the beautiful sunshine

22/07/2023

This is so cool

Wednesday night the queens are asked to represent their home state in the grand entry. Ellie Stewart definitely had the contestants, the crowd, and the announcers attention as she and her partner rode in on with their John Deere! NHSRA

21/07/2023

I'm sharing this because it's so true how we get caught up and forget....

Don’t over complicate it.... 🐎💙☘️

There was a time when you were just happy to ride, happy to be in the company of horses. It didn’t matter if you could execute a perfect lead change or jump double clear rounds. You were just happy to have two feet in the stirrups and ears leading the way!

You didn’t care about having the best tack, the coolest boots, or the newest hi-tech breeches. An old ex-racehorse, your favorite, old worn out pair of jeans with a colorful t-shirt did the job just fine!

You didn’t spend the days between Christmas and New Year’s planning a heavy schedule of training sessions, clinics and competitions. You threw tinsel around your pony’s neck and went hacking with friends!The new year was just another 365 days to go riding!

Don’t forget that you started this sport because you loved the animal. You loved the rush of galloping across open fields and the serenity of watching horses quietly graze in the sun. You do this because there is nothing on this earth that makes you feel more alive than being on the back of a horse, so don’t overcomplicate it…

Enjoy the little things, because one day you will look back and realize... they weren’t little at all. 🐎💙☘️

07/03/2023

I love this. Incredibly true.

Consistency and discipline—two of the greatest keys to success—cannot exist if our actions are motivated solely by validation from others.

Why?

Because the fact of the matter is, nobody is standing by your bed at 5 am to clap when your feet hit the floor.

No one is patting you on the back for riding 5 days in a row, in the rain, the cold, the exhaustion.

Credit comes. But not always in relation to our expectations. Not always when we want it to or from who we want it to come from.

Wake up and be great because you ARE great, not because you need to be recognized for it.

www.betweenthereins.us




📸: Bee Silva Photography

25/10/2022

Soooo true

Yes!! 😄😄😄

20/09/2022

Amen...

Yes!!! 😃😃😃

12/09/2022

Horses!!! 👀

05/09/2022

I am overwhelmed, no, stunned at this latest move by one of horse sport’s major governing bodies. Have you been watching the news? The NRHA - National Reining Horse Association, a worldwide organization, has just okayed the use of Sedivet within thirty minutes of competition.

What does this tell us?

It finally, finally gives us permission to do whatever is necessary to win by showing man’s mastery over nature. Gone are the days of sparkling eyes and beautiful energy. The people who call the shots are saying that we want the heads down, the staggering steps, the dropped pen*ses dripping urine, the horses who crumple after a set of spins…

Sedivet, of course, is at its name hints. A sedative and preanaesthetic in horses, it is used to facilitate handling, examination and veterinary treatment. Now, it can add to its uses as a drug to mask a horse’s energy, lookiness, trainability and showability in competition. It is now a legal way to strip a horse of all his inherent qualities and dignity. A way to make him put his head down and take whatever we dish out.

Now we can show horses who are sore, without anyone being the wiser.

My newsfeed is showing a few top trainers openly calling, “What the actual hell, NRHA?” A very few. Mostly, it is filled with appalled horse(wo)men sharing videos that should have the owners and trainers disbarred from competing ever again, in my mind. This proof of drugging in competition is so revolting, I had to quickly turn off the first video I saw. If you are interested, you will have no trouble in finding the Sedivet story online.

In the name of balance, I have tried and tried to look up reasons why this would ever be considered ethical. Perhaps to mask a horse who is sore? To ensure the safety of someone who is overmounted? To make the sport more beautiful if we can’t see these horses openly resist in the warm-up pen? Nah, none of it makes any sense.

Drugging horses is not limited to reining, don’t kid yourselves. We see it in the lowest levels of 4H competition, never mind events that have prize money in the millions, or where little hunter ponies and pigtailed princesses are pitted against one another (on ponies that are insured for more than a modest house). One thing we know for certain. Anything beautiful will be turned to dreck the minute we involve a pile of money. And so it is, for the horses in sanctioned reining competition.

The crickets sounding forth from the industry pros—in all breeds and disciplines—is very telling. By their silence, it tells us that most of these pros are fine with drugging their horses.

I don’t know about you folks, but I am ashamed for my fellow man. I’ve watched these horses curl into themselves, lower and lower, in order to win. Bred smaller and smaller, started younger and younger, so often carrying overweight men… and now, this.

When will our abusing horses ever end?

25/08/2022

Exactly!!!!

“Put the horse first".

Easy to say. Hard to do.

Putting the horse first requires commitment. It requires integrity. And patience. And energy. And money. And oh, does it require time.

Putting the horse first means earlier mornings and later nights. It means quality feed plans and the best hay that you can buy. And extra brushing so that coats gleam and manes and tails shine.

Putting the horse first means that you buy three extra bags of shavings for your stall at the horse show (yes, I know they're expensive!!), because even though you can "get by" with two, you want to do right by your horse. If you don't want to stand on concrete all weekend, why would she?

Putting the horse first means that you have a good working relationship with a quality equine vet. It means that every horse gets the best quality of care that you can afford to give it. Your performance horse is an athlete. Treat her like one.

And when your vet says, "Rest her for 10-14 days," be generous and give her the 14. Even if it's inconvenient. Even if you've aleady paid your stalls and entries. Even if it's the last thing you want to hear.

Putting the horse first means that if you've been rained out of the arena for two weeks and your horse isn't fit, you don't haul to the horse show. You choose to be fair to the horse and keep her home, instead.

It also means that if you haul three hours to the horse show only to find that the ground is dangerous, you load up and go home. It takes discipline, but you don't jeopardize what you want in the moment for the long-term confidence, health, and soundness of your horse.

Putting the horse first means that no saddle, no halter, no buckle, no trophy, no paycheck comes before the well-being of your equine partner. No matter what.. And it ain't an easy row to hoe.

Many will ride. Many will compete. Many will win. But few will be horse(wo)men.

Don't just be a competitor. Be better”

23/08/2022

Absolutely beautiful.

22/08/2022

Because hay makes up the majority of most horse’s diets, it’s very important to know what level of nutrients it is providing your horse. Check out our latest podcast episode to learn how to get your hay tested and how to interpret the results!⬇🐴
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3QxCwjI
Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3zVz4s4

11/08/2022

It’s not the most glamorous part of owning a horse, but deep cleaning your trailer is vital to keeping your horse happy, safe and secure on the road.

11/08/2022

I seen people sharing their fly/ bomber repellent and advice and thought I'd share ours for those interested :)

We use Desitin when sprays are being sweat off too quickly in this heat by our herd.

Because we have young kids in the barn who help care for the horses, I wanted to find something without all the pesticides. And this is safe for everyone to use and apply without us worrying about them inhaling or touching harmful chemicals.

Desitin is thick & water proof- more so than swat by a long shot- and stays on for several days at our place. We simply rub it into their coat in places that the bombers and flies like to land most.

We focus it on their belly, arm pits, chest, base of the tail, and down their spine.

We also use it for...
*Thrush
*Sunburn
*Keeping cuts/scrapes from attracting flies
*Chaffed skin and I'm sure more that I'm not thinking of!

Maybe this will help someone looking for another solution. It sure helps us year round in the barn 🥰 We simply have it on auto delivery since we use it so much.
--------------------
Thank you to West Michigan Trail Riders for sharing this post.

08/08/2022

Good Morning Trail Riders!

As we get into the month of August, please be mindful of the potential to come across ground bees on trails.

August to Sept are usually when we have the most reports of these nasty bees.

What to remember on the trail when you encounter ground bees....

#1. Usually the first 2-3 horses in your group will not get hit by the bees (or will be hit, but minimally) . The last riders in your group, are usually the most likely to be stung.
*Because of this, we usually put our kids riding their horses in front of us this time of year. Obviously this decision is based off of our own horses and our kids abilities to lead a trail ride. Same with the more green horses. We prefer them to ride in front to minimize their chance of getting stung.

#2. DO NOT STOP if you suspect you or someone in your group's horse is getting stung. Stopping and dismounting to help your horse can cause others behind you to get attacked by the bees. KEEP MOVING FORWARD - out and away from danger!

#3. Remain as calm as possible. Yelling & screaming... it can all cause other riders and horses to become nervous and the situation to be worse. Talk to each other, keeping each other calm if possible. Keep communicating with each other through the situation, especially with your kids if they are on the ride with you.

#4. Once all members of your group are past the section, then you may dismount to check your horse over if necessary. Be sure to slowly dismount and continue talking to each other and your horses if they are worked up and nervous. Getting stung by these little buggers HURTS. So be understanding of your horses reactions.

#5. IF POSSIBLE- BLOCK THE TRAIL. But PLEASE do not put yourself in harms way. As volunteers, when we come across these on our rides, we usually try to use branches to BLOCK that section of the trail temporarily. DO NOT do this unless you feel safe doing so. This is a precaution to in hopes get others to go around the section. And this is a good spot to say- SEE a blocked trail? It is done for a REASON. Don't be brave, you may be walking into danger!

#6. WARN OTHERS as you see them on the trail when you are heading back.

#7. When you return to the trail head- IMMEDIATELY report where the incident happened so we can dispatch our volunteers or rangers to kill the nest and to mark it. THIS is imperative to avoid others from being injured as well.

How to report danger on the trail:

CALL The DNR @ (269) 795-9081

You may also reach our volunteers at one of the following numbers:
Ron Walker (President) 616-437-0747
Travis Buehler (Treasurer) 616-293-7891
Sarah Buehler (Secretary) 616-318-3587

Reach out to whomever you are most comfortable with. We NEED to know about these issues as soon as possible. Sending a PM to this page may not be seen as quickly as a phone call or a text to one of us.

Stay safe friends!

We will post here ANY reported nests to warn others. And we do work to get these taken care of as immediately as possible.

Regards,
YSTRA

06/08/2022

WHEN TO SAY GOODBYE

A few days ago a friend shared with me their heart break at the death of their beloved dog. Recently we have had to say goodbye to a couple of our most cherished animals. It's something we all face at some time in our life. I don't know of any animal owner/lover who escapes this heart-wrenching experience. These are my thoughts on the subject.

Horses are a gift in our life. In fact, most of the creatures we share our lives with are a gift. The pleasure they bring us far outweighs the financial burden and the sometimes inconveniences that come with the responsibility of ownership.

They bring so much happiness, but unfortunately, they also bring so much grief. I am specifically thinking of the grief that comes with death.

The arrival of our horses and our other beloved animals enrich our lives so much that it is sometimes hard to come to terms with the emotional price of losing them.

This is made far worse by the situations where the decision to end their life is in our hands. We don’t tend to debate for too long about the decision to end a horse’s suffering when they have a catastrophic accident. The grief is still sharp and painful, but the decision in favour of a humane death is pretty clear. However, when a horse is experiencing a slow and lingering journey towards death most of us struggle with figuring out the right time. Actually, I think “struggle” is the wrong word. I think “agonize” is a more accurate description. It’s horrible.

I have had enough horses and pets in my life to develop my own philosophy on the subject of deciding when to euthanize an animal I love. These views are specifically in regards to animals that are heading towards their end due to illness or aging and not in cases where the suffering is so great and obvious that any caring human would not need to hesitate over the decision. I want to point out that they are my views and for me only. They may be irrelevant to you or your circumstances. I make no judgment on how other people choose to deal with the decision to put a beloved animal down.

Firstly, if possible I would prefer to do the euthanization myself. I know some people think that is very strange, but I have been the carer of my animals during their life and it is important that I be their carer at the end of it. This is so important to me. There have been a few times when it was not possible to be the one holding the syringe, but even in those cases, I have always insisted on being present to say goodbye.

Secondly, I realize there is no instant that demarcates the exact right moment when it is time to say goodbye during a slow demise of an animal. There are no signs to tell us that yesterday was too soon, but today is the right time. We each come to a decision when we feel we don’t want to see our precious horse/pet suffer any further. It is a judgment call that is personal to each of us.

But this is where the difficulty arises.

We control the timing of euthanization based on the way we feel. We hold off on the decision and do everything possible to delay the inevitable until we feel it is crunch time. We wait until we feel it would be cruel to put it off any longer. This is why I believe very few people euthanize their horse too early and I suspect most people do it too late. We wait until we feel the suffering is becoming too much to tolerate. Often times it is because we don’t want to watch our animals suffer anymore rather than looking at the situation as a bystander who is emotionally detached. I know this because I have been guilty of this behaviour myself. I don’t want to say goodbye so much that I wait until it upsets me too much to watch the suffering anymore. If I had been able to detach myself from my feelings I might have eased the suffering a lot sooner.

I believe most people wait too long to euthanize an animal on the downward slope. I have never come across anybody who was faced with the situation and felt they had not waited long enough. Everybody waits until the last possible moment when they feel the animal’s condition is making the decision for them. This is perfectly understandable, but I believe most of us do it for selfish reasons and not always in the best interest of our friend.

I certainly believe there are worse things a horse can suffer than a humane death. If I could be certain that I knew the moment when a horse’s life transitioned from "life is okay" to "death is a better option", then there would be a lot less anguish over the decision of when to call the vet and a lot less guilt during the subsequent grieving process.

It is not for me to tell people how they should handle their horse’s “end of life” situation. But I wrote this essay in the hope that maybe people would prepare a little better for what they know is eventually coming and think hard about the decisions they will have to make. Maybe examine their own motivation behind their decisions and whether their love and fear of grief skew their decision-making.

I believe the onus of responsibility to care for our horses (and our animals) at the end of their life is just as strong as it is to care for them throughout their life. Always asking myself, “What is in their best interest?”

Photo: This is Old Billy, a stallion of unknown breed who died in 1822 at 62 years old. He is believed to be verifiably the oldest horse on record.