Wild Willow Equestrian Center

09/07/2023

🐴 Fun day update: we have decided to cancel Fun Day on Sunday 9/24 due to limited participation. Thanks to all for your interest! Please reach out with any questions & hope to see you next year!

08/24/2023

Update: Fun Day has been cancelled for this year

08/22/2023

It’s a hot one this week ☀️

07/20/2023

A HUGE congratulations to all of our Boone Co 4H Horse and Pony members! What a fun and fabulous 2023 4H Fair!

Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming Wild Willow Equestrian Center 2023 FUN DAY on September 24th!

07/05/2023

How will Pulse Electromagnetic Field Therapy & Massage Therapy help your horse?

-improves range of motion
-helps with muscle tension, soreness, & restriction
-increases circulation
-improves soft tissue health
-can help with attitude and negative behaviors associated with discomfort
-and more!

Contact me at 765-335-6492 to set up an appointment and together we can improve the performance and wellbeing of your horse!

Photos: The Whole Image

06/29/2023

Saw this posted and feel it’s worth sharing. Even if you are prepping for a show this weekend your horses health is more important
We are currently in the purple zone today

05/09/2023

Here's a list of 10 things Veterinarians want you to know about Banamine. How to use it, how NOT to use it, whether you can stack it with other medications, different options as far as how to administer it, some of the risks involved in giving Banamine to your horse, and more. 10 things veterinarian...

05/09/2023

With spring here and new grass growing its important to watch for signs of colic in horses

What should you do (or not do) if your horse shows signs of colic? And how do you prevent colic in the first place? Find out from our veterinary experts.

05/09/2023

Many people think that horses can safely eat grass clippings (grass is grass, right?) but that is a pretty common misconception and grass clippings actually pose a number of dangers to our equine friends.

While grass is meant to be slowly picked, ripped and chewed by the horse, grass clippings can quickly clump and cause choke if the animal ingests too many too fast. Grass clippings are also prone to fermentation which can cause colics, stomach and intestinal impactions, founder and laminitis.

Take-home message: Keep your horse away from grass clippings and in general never feed horses any food without the owner’s permission.

Source: Dr. Jenna Moline, a member of the AAEP Horse Owner Education member. In memory of Chula, a much-loved horse who recently passed away after eating grass clippings thrown into her pasture by a neighbor; shared with the blessing of Chula’s family with hopes to prevent this tragedy from happening to any other horse owners.

03/01/2023

It’s a busy night in the arena for February. Lovin this warm weather!!!

12/06/2022

Here is the sign up for the March 1st farrier appointment with Dustin Shuck. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CA5AB2DA02-1208223

Dustin will arrive between 9:30 and 10:00am - PLEASE READ BELOW DETAILS - YOU ARE AGREEING TO THESE POLICIES BY SIGNING UP Should you have any specific requests or questions, please contact Dustin directly at 765-490-0686. Thank you 1 - Pick a slot: The slot chosen will be the order in which service...

12/06/2022

Here is the sign up for the February 1st farrier appointment with Dustin Shuck. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CA5AB2DA02-1208221

Dustin will arrive between 9:30 and 10:00am - PLEASE READ BELOW DETAILS - YOU ARE AGREEING TO THESE POLICIES BY SIGNING UP Should you have any specific requests or questions, please contact Dustin directly at 765-490-0686. Thank you 1 - Pick a slot: The slot chosen will be the order in which service...

12/06/2022

Here is the sign up for the January 17th farrier appointment with Dustin Shuck. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CA5AB2DA02-1208222

Dustin will arrive between 9:30 and 10:00am - PLEASE READ BELOW DETAILS - YOU ARE AGREEING TO THESE POLICIES BY SIGNING UP Should you have any specific requests or questions, please contact Dustin directly at 765-490-0686. Thank you 1 - Pick a slot: The slot chosen will be the order in which service...

12/06/2022

Here is the sign up for the December 20th farrier appointment with Dustin Shuck. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CA5AB2DA02-120822

Dustin will arrive between 9:30 and 10:00am - PLEASE READ BELOW DETAILS - YOU ARE AGREEING TO THESE POLICIES BY SIGNING UP Should you have any specific requests or questions, please contact Dustin directly at 765-490-0686. Thank you 1 - Pick a slot: The slot chosen will be the order in which service...

10/24/2022

What a perfect night for some fall riding!

07/07/2022

Strangles is one of the most commonly contagious diseases of the horse (worldwide) and in 2017 it became a nationally monitored disease. This condition is caused by bacterial infection with "Streptococcus equi subspecies equi" (referred to as "S. equi”), which typically infects the upper airway and lymph nodes of the head and neck, and is highly contagious in horse populations—particularly affecting young horses. Classic signs of the disease include sudden onset of fever as high as 106 degrees F, thick yellow nasal discharge, and swollen lymph nodes under the jaw.

Transfer from horse to horse usually involves direct face-to-face contact, or exposure to things such as contaminated feed, water, hands, veterinary instruments or grooming tools. A stall or van recently used to house or transport a horse that is shedding the organism may also be a source of infection.

WATCH OUT FOR ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS! (Sounds familiar, right?)

It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease, and the primary source of recurrent infections are most likely asymptomatic carrier horses—animals who display no clinical signs but may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.


If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Without control and biosecurity measures, a strangles outbreak will ultimately affect all susceptible horses, last longer, and have a greater chance of leading to complications.
**Please note that strangles is a reportable disease in some states.**

To learn more about strangles, visit our website at https://aaep.org/issue/understanding-equine-strangles


And as always, contact your veterinarian for more information as they remain the best source of advice!

06/13/2022

Good information for the hot week ahead!

05/14/2022

LOVE this story!!!!

"Last year, a two-year-old c**t finished dead last in his first race. Disappointed, his owners placed him in a “claiming” race where anyone could take the ownership for a fee. An older man purchased the c**t after missing the chance to claim another horse he wanted. He said it was his last attempt to find some success in the racing industry.

The c**t won by 17 lengths, and his new owner was encouraged. But, in the races that followed, he finished third twice, fourth once, and fifth once. His owner, however, still believed in him.

2022 was the c**t's only chance to race in major thoroughbred races, which are limited to three-year-olds. The day before the Kentucky Derby, the field of horses was already full, but then, at the last moment, a famous trainer scratched (withdrew) his horse. The c**t took that place in a field of twenty horses, just 30 seconds before the entry deadline. Suddenly, he was in the game. He had a chance.

All the metrics and predictors were against him. Neither his owner, his trainer, nor his jockey had ever been associated with any horse in the Kentucky Derby. His jockey had never even won a major event. They were decidedly outsiders and newbies in an extremely elite arena. On the morning of the race, his odds of winning were set at 80 to 1, the second longest odds in Derby history.

Halfway around the track, the c**t was 16 horses back from the lead. He couldn’t even be seen in the field of view of the drone camera flying above the race. He was a nobody, a throw-away, an inconsequential participant.

But then, he made his move.

He began working his way through the crowded pack, finding a few narrow, fleeting opportunities to improve his position. As they headed toward the finish line, he had miraculously moved up to fifth, then fourth, but still, no one had noticed him. Everyone’s attention was firmly focused on the battle between the two famous front-runners.

Only seconds before the finish, he suddenly, almost magically passed the two front-runners. The announcer struggled to identify him and say his name in time. He said, almost in a single breath, “Rich Strike is coming up on the inside ... Oh my goodness! The longest shot has won the Kentucky Derby!”

Where there is life, there is hope.
Anything is possible.
Don’t let anyone count you out.
Persistence and determination beat the odds."

H/T Cyd Cowgill

***************************************

Y’all wanna teach your kids a life lesson in 2 minutes? Show them the replay to the Kentucky Derby Race.

1. Not the best starting position
2. Not the biggest or best horse
3. Only made it into the race on account of another horse having to scratch
4. $30,000 horse against multi million dollar horses

It ain’t always about having the best of everything or being the biggest and favored. It’s about the size of heart and dedication to win and excel in everything you do!

Well done Rich Strike