Storey Tails

03/01/2025

Exactly! Say it again for those in the back. Alfalfa does not make your horses hot!

Although protein is normally listed as a nutrient, horses actually have a requirement for amino acids, the building blocks of protein, rather than for protein itself.

Protein is the least efficient energy source for your horse, so high protein does not automatically equal high energy. Carbohydrates, fats, and fiber are more readily digestible energy sources, so chances are a horse with too much energy is being fed more calories than the animal truly needs.

As always, remember that all horses have different nutritional needs based on age, stage of development, metabolism and workload. Be sure to work with your veterinarian to determine the correct protein and energy requirements for your equine friend based on your horse’s individual situation!
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

20/12/2024

I say this multiple times every day.

14/12/2024

Yes! Say it again for those who don't hear me. 😉

A rational discussion of horse centered horsemanship not fragmented separate discipline horsemanship.

08/12/2024

History....

27/11/2024

I have watched this so many times over the years and the transformations are amazing. These kids grow up to be pretty amazing adults too.
Libby Sanders
Ali Mcclintic
Emily Sloop
Hope Foote
Abby Butler

If you give a kid a pony...

If you give a kid a pony, they will need a saddle to go with it...

You’ll buy them the best saddle you can afford and then they will probably want a bridle and a saddle pad and some boots too…

Then they will probably spend hours begging you to go to the barn even though there are other things that you need to do. They will insist and their insistence will win.

And when they get their first show shirt, they’ll need a belt and spurs and a hat… And a TEAM, a Barn Family… And then, life as you know it is over.

No more lazy weekends or holidays for you, my friend. You will see more sunrises than you ever thought possible. Every spare minute will be spent hauling kids and dogs and boots and tack all over tarnation for hours to practice for their sport. The sport that will drive their very passion.

And your house will be a mess. And your car will be dirty. All because you gave a kid a pony…

Your weekends will be spent freezing to death or burning up as you hang out in the barn or arena. And their weekends will be spent gaining confidence and friends and learning new skills that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. They’ll be having fun and getting dirty… So dirty that you will be doing laundry in a whole new way - possibly at times involving a pressure washer.

And you’ll be there the day they learn to lope, the day they win their first ribbon, win their first class, get their first Circuit Championship… And you will be SO proud. The other parents will Congratulate you… But you know, it’s the hardwork and determination that they have invested into this pony that deserves the congratulations. As a team, they have done this…

And right before your eyes, your little one will be transformed from a small fry who be bopped along on that little pony with their little bum bouncing out of the saddle into a little horseman. And you will be proud… So proud.

When you give a kid a pony, you give them more than just a four legged furry friend. You give them a sport, a talent, hopes, dreams, and friends - friends who become family, a place to learn about life, room to grow as a person where they can push themselves to their very limits, and bravery, and courage, and memories… Oh the memories that will last a lifetime. And a LIFE. They will have ALL THESE THINGS simply because you gave a kid a pony…

Because you gave a kid a pony, you too will develop new lifelong friendships, developed solely from the same passion for the sport and the love of your barn family and team. You will root together. And cry together. And laugh together. All because you gave a kid a pony…

Then one day - years from now… They will be in their room and a picture of that pony will catch their eye. When they look at it they at it they will know instantly that when you gave that kid a pony you gave them a childhood that they will never forget. They will realize that everything YOU gave up along the way… was worth it.

All because you gave a kid a pony…

~ Anna Ingram Knowles

📸: .the.equestrian on Instagram

21/11/2024

Selling my used PEMF + Message Combo Therapy Blanket.
Comes with 2 front leg wraps, blanket with neck, battery, charger and instructions.
This blanket is in great shape and has been a great tool for our performance horses.

The Activo-Med Combi Pro BLUE Blanket is a dual therapy rug, combining powerful pulsed electromagnetic (PEMF) therapy with massage, covering the main muscle groups across the horse from poll to tail including back, shoulder and thigh areas.

It can be used daily to support performance as part of your warm up / cool down routine. It is excellent for horses in rehabilitation, or with specific stiffnesses, injuries or general maintenance.

The blanket contains 14 strategically placed PEMF spools and 14 cyclonic massage modules over the main muscle groups that work as directed but the pre-programmed control box. The PEMF uses a range of selected therapeutic frequencies to help promote cell efficiency and recovery.

One control box operates both applications in one combined therapy session. You only have to choose one of the 8 preset programme sequences and the multi-session starts leaving you free to carry out other tasks without having to stand with the horse.
https://equinetherapyint.com/product/combi-pro-blanket-blue/

Asking $3500 (Brand New these are $6500)
Located in Eagle ID
Buyer to pay shipping if needed.

18/11/2024

Confirmed EVH-1 cases in the Spokane area. Spread the word horse people.

There have been two confirmed cases of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in Spokane County. EHM is the neurologic form of EHV-1 (rarely caused by EHV-4), which can cause fatal neurologic disease. The signs are often fever, ataxia (wobbly gait), lethargy, nasal discharge, urinary and f***l incontinence, but can also progress to being down and unable to rise. This virus can also cause abortions, most often in late pregnant mares, as well as respiratory disease. If your horse is possibly exposed, please contact your veterinarian; horses should be quarantined per state veterinarian guidelines, and temperatures taken twice daily.
This disease is spread by contact with contaminated surfaces such as feed and water buckets, on tack or human clothing, nose-to-nose contact, and there is airborne spread.
There is no vaccine to prevent this form of EHV-1; however — in an exposed premises, the vaccines for the other forms of EHV may decrease viral shedding and help prevent spread of infection. We recommend limiting hauling for non-emergent reasons and reducing stress, especially in immunocompromised horses, as this can increase risk of spreading the disease.
Here are links to resources regarding EHV-1/EHM:
https://aaep.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/EHV_FAQ_for_Owners_Final.pdf
https://www.equinediseasecc.org/handler/managedfilehandler.ashx?id=4&ext=pdf

18/11/2024

2025 Storey Tails Calendar is up.... As you all know some of what is on there is tentative. We will be making a few CA trips. Don't forget American Eventing Champs is on the west coast this year in Temecula.
If you can't open the link here go to www.StoreyTails.com and go to the event calendar page

2025

07/11/2024

Yes! Get up out of the saddle and work on balance and fitness.

18/10/2024

Difficult horses expose you for the rider and trainer that you are.

They highlight your inadequacies and showcase them for everyone to see.

They get louder if you refuse to listen.

They will embarrass you, humble, you, infuriate you but, also, they will teach you. If you let them.

Horses who refuse to succumb to forceful pressures and instead fight back often aren’t the most liked horses.

How we respond to these horses exposes a lot about us and where we are in our horsemanship journey.

If we let our ego run the show, we can quickly resort to toxic attitudes that blame the horse and cause us to respond in anger.

We may stereotype the horse off of their breed, color, s*x, or whatever trait we can grasp to try to blame. ie: “she’s such a chestnut thoroughbred mare, that’s why she’s being such a witch!”

While this may provide temporary relief and it takes the focus off of how we are creating negative behaviour in the Horse, it stunts our growth.

And it soothes our ego at the expense of the horse.

It’s easy to like horses who do what we want.

Who are simple, uncomplicated, easy to push and get the answer we want.

But, how we respond to the horses who won’t do that perhaps says the most about us as a human.

The empathy and compassion with which we can approach the difficult horse speaks volumes about our own ability to emotionally regulate and how we show up as a rider and/or trainer.

One of the most telling things about a trainer may just be how they behave when things don’t go their way.

How do they treat the horses who don’t respond well to their methods?

Do they get angry and try harder to force a result?

Or do they pause, recalibrate and find a new approach?

11/10/2024

IYKYK

𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒

If you own a horse, sooner or later you will have to deal with a 𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓫𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼​!

So what is a "𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓫𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼"?

Bacteria or debris that gets trapped between the sensitive laminae (tissue that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus. The pus builds over time, causing pressure to the sole or hoof wall. This pressure can cause a sudden onset of acute lameness.

Most abscesses will rupture on their own, much like a pimple, at the coronary band or heel bulbs, others require radiographs to assess the gas track/pus pocket and require intervention.

Treatment usually consists of betadine/epsom salts foot bath and poultice bandage (Epsom Salt Poultice or Animalintex Poultice Pads).