Hidden Brook Stables

11/24/2024

11/17/2024

This advice will NOT be popular with those who want it RIGHT NOW, but nevertheless, here goes---

If the goal is to become two things, a good rider and a good horseman/horsewoman, be willing to think in decades rather than in years.

That first decade, from whatever age you began, will take you only so far, and may even take you to the Olympics, but riding skill alone won’t give you all you need to know and be able to do. The next couple of decades will let three components, your physical skills, your control over your emotions and your knowledge, all intertwined to complement one another.

That’s why many of the best riders and trainers are in their 40s, 50s and in some cases in their 60s, even 70s. They didn’t get those tens of thousands of hours overnight.

There are ever so many riders and trainers who gave up too soon. They just needed to have hung in there another ten years, maybe twenty. Which sounds insane, but actually isn’t.

11/15/2024

PSA: back pain in horses.

11/14/2024

It is vitally important NOT to be suckered by those magazines that feature “Life Styles Of Your Typical Billionaire Equestrian” into thinking that anything short of over-the-top opulence is somehow deficient.

Sure, if you go on a tour of some of the Lexington, Kentucky stud farms you will see palatial stone barns, groomed landscapes, splashing fountains and chandeliers, but those are designed to woo investors into the racing industry.

Or if some private farm looks like the Taj Mahal, goody for them. It’s possible, often even probable, that extremely lavish trappings disguise average or even mediocre riding abilities. Neatness, though, is different from opulence. As is having a clean or clean-ish barn and tack room. Attention to detail in one area of horse management can often reflect an overall attitude that spills over into the way someone rides and trains.

Neatness begins by picking up a broom. Or a rake. Try not, perhaps, to become one of those people who thinks that manual labor is for “other” people. The word for that attitude is “pretentious.”

11/04/2024

This morning’s gorgeous view!

10/26/2024

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

10/26/2024

Wow!

10/22/2024

PSA: BEWARE!!! Please pass this along!! I almost fell victim to this SCAM!!! This scenario is on the rise!!
I received a phone call from a number identified as Howard Cty Gov. I answered. The gentleman on the call identified himself by name and that he was a police officer. I was told that I have 3 misdemeanor citations totaling $5700 for a missed Federal Grand Jury summons. I was told that if I appear at the Howard County Police Department, I will have triggered the criminal process and I will be detained for up to 72 hours. I was told that I may choose to avail myself of the civil process. That will require obtaining $5700 in cash to prepay the bond. I was told to go to one of three “bail bond” machines, deposit the money and bring the receipts to the police station. Once there, I was to submit 3 examples of my signature. When it was determined that my signature did not resemble the signature on the proof of delivery for the summons, my prepaid bond would be returned. In reality, the “bail bond”machine is a cryptocurrency machine. The “red flags” finally started screaming at me. It took a while because of the overwhelming fear I had at the thought of being detained for up to 72 hours. “Red flags” like: do not hang up the phone, “you must remain on the line the whole time”, do not go to the police until the bond is paid, a cryptocurrency machine, using a number other than your phone number at the cryptocurrency machine. This morning’s event stopped when I used another phone and called the Howard County Police and asked about my “citations”. They told me it was a scam. I drove to the police department with the scammer still on the phone and confirmed it was a scam. After I hung up, the scammer had the audacity to try and call again in front of the police!!

THIS IS A SCAM!!!! No matter how legitimate it sounds. The caller will provide the victim with accurate personal information: the address where the summons was originally mailed. The caller will sound like he is trying to help you. The caller will identify himself with the name of an actual police officer in said police department. The phone number will appear authentic. The pressure applied by the caller will be overwhelming. The thought, that as a law-abiding citizen, one can be detained (for up to 72 hours) and one’s livelihood effected is paralyzing. This is why this SCAM has been so effective!!! Come to find out that I was not the only victim today!

09/27/2024

So, if you’re considering a break from horses, take a look at these five options that could help you out first – rather than selling straight away

08/28/2024

15 years to resolve such an egregious case????

Eric Lamaze has been ordered to pay over $572,000 (£433,000) plus costs, in a case regarding horse sales dating back over 15 years. In the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on 8 August, Justice E Chozik found in favour of the claimants as the claim was not defended. The claimants, Iron Horse Farm I...