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Red Horse Farm & Home My mission is to keep your animals safe, happy and content in their own homes while you’re away.
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We are almost halfway through August! Hope you all are staying cool out there. Remember electrolytes/salt and cool baths...
18/08/2024

We are almost halfway through August! Hope you all are staying cool out there. Remember electrolytes/salt and cool baths are ideal for our equine friends during this time. Offering shelter with fans and out of the sun or night turnout is ideal. 🫏🐎🥵

Struggling with that voice in between your ears? Come and quiet that voice with Dr Held.
15/08/2024

Struggling with that voice in between your ears? Come and quiet that voice with Dr Held.

🌟 Exciting Announcement! Join us for an Educational Webinar 🐴

We're thrilled to present a virtual webinar as part of our fundraising campaign for the new website!

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Tyler Held, Certified Mental Performance Consultant
📅 Date: Aug 16
🕒 Time: 12pm CST
📍 Register: https://www.nteventing.org/event-5809140

Dr. Tyler Held brings a wealth of experience as a former 5* groom and lifelong Equestrian. Her expertise in Sport and Performance Psychology will be invaluable as she shares insights on becoming a mentally tough and adaptable rider through effective mental skills training techniques.

🐎 Webinar Focus:

Understanding the unique mental challenges of Equestrian sports
Techniques to enhance mental toughness and adaptability
Practical advice for competitors and hobbyists alike

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain control over your mental game and fully enjoy your ride!

Every 6 months we venture down to Dallas for the  show at Dallas Market! Next week will be filled with so much excitemen...
08/08/2024

Every 6 months we venture down to Dallas for the show at Dallas Market! Next week will be filled with so much excitement can’t even wait!

We love our clients and are so thrilled to be able to provide 5⭐️ to them and their pups.
03/08/2024

We love our clients and are so thrilled to be able to provide 5⭐️ to them and their pups.

Happy August. Our longest hottest summer month in Texas. We are all waiting for fall. Until then early morning and very ...
03/08/2024

Happy August. Our longest hottest summer month in Texas. We are all waiting for fall. Until then early morning and very late evenings 🥵

Looking for mid day care? Have a day trip you need coverage for? RHFH has got you! With independent contractors covering...
30/07/2024

Looking for mid day care? Have a day trip you need coverage for? RHFH has got you! With independent contractors covering the area the service area covers almost all of North Texas. Send us a DM to find out more and get your animals take care of by a professional.

I wear these breeches not just riding but often I don’t have time to change before walking dogs or doing chores and they...
30/07/2024

I wear these breeches not just riding but often I don’t have time to change before walking dogs or doing chores and they have held up! Get yours and support North Texas Eventing Association

Get your horse riding gear from Sparrow Equestrian and support NTEA fundraising efforts for a new website. 10% of sales go to NTEA when you mention 'NTEA'. Order now through Abbie Driscoll! Sparrow Equestrian Abbie Driscoll

Glen was extra sleepy this past weekend he loves to take it slow and on his own terms when it comes to eating and sleepi...
24/07/2024

Glen was extra sleepy this past weekend he loves to take it slow and on his own terms when it comes to eating and sleeping. 🩶

Cutest Griffey boy 😍
24/07/2024

Cutest Griffey boy 😍

Soak up the last of summer and before we know it we are into fall. We have a few openings left on our books for pet care...
24/07/2024

Soak up the last of summer and before we know it we are into fall. We have a few openings left on our books for pet care. Message or DM for availability.

Coach Tony is coming back! Get your registration in for a fabulous time. No horses needed!
13/07/2024

Coach Tony is coming back! Get your registration in for a fabulous time. No horses needed!

🎶Guess who’s back, back again…Tony’s back, tell a friend!🎶
Excited to bring back for assessments Oct 5 & 6. And this time, NO HORSE NEEDED! Check link in bio for more info and to register.

Volunteers needed!
12/07/2024

Volunteers needed!

We have only had (5) people sign up for our workday tomorrow...and we have a whole list of things we need to get done! Do you have a couple of hours to spare? WE NEED YOU! Simply email Karen Slater and let her know you are coming, [email protected] . THANK YOU!!!

Want to be apart of an amazing journey for life after the track? JC name: Irish Blue is headed to the Retired Racehorse ...
03/07/2024

Want to be apart of an amazing journey for life after the track? JC name: Irish Blue is headed to the Retired Racehorse Project throughbred makeover 2024 in October. With a primary discipline in competitive trail and a secondary in field hunter. This 2020 roan grey Irish bred gelding is super special and we want you to be a part of that journey. For those who donate $100 or more your name will be featured on Glens stall banner at RRP. All proceeds are raised for RRP we are hoping to fundraise even more for this awesome organization and recognition at this national event. Please consider giving to RRP at the link below.

Give for one, give to all: your contribution to an individual trainer fundraiser through the 2024 Make the Makeover campaign can help them earn refunded entry fees, AND help produce the biggest movement in Thoroughbred aftercare, the Thoroughbred Makeover.All eligible trainers who raise $1,000 or mo...

We love the spotted drafts and this sweet girl is one of the best.
22/06/2024

We love the spotted drafts and this sweet girl is one of the best.

These cuties are hanging out with sitter Lesley this week 🫏Pc
21/06/2024

These cuties are hanging out with sitter Lesley this week 🫏

Pc

Amazing weather calls for a 2 mile walk with this boy. 🐾🦴
18/06/2024

Amazing weather calls for a 2 mile walk with this boy. 🐾🦴

Have you booked your summer pet care? Passport? Confirmation? Parking? What about the pets? Let us help@you finish out y...
11/06/2024

Have you booked your summer pet care? Passport? Confirmation? Parking? What about the pets? Let us help@you finish out your vacation plans by taking care of your pets in your own home. Care to fit each and every pets needs. Give us a shout to schedule.

These cuties have been a blast to hang out with this week.
11/06/2024

These cuties have been a blast to hang out with this week.

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith an...
04/06/2024

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” – Roger A. Caras

I think we could all learn a thing or two from Diesels perfect down dog 🤣🐾
23/05/2024

I think we could all learn a thing or two from Diesels perfect down dog 🤣🐾

We love the humble hoof and have seen some amazing things come from a podcast listen.
18/05/2024

We love the humble hoof and have seen some amazing things come from a podcast listen.

Trimming Vs. Movement

I was chatting with someone yesterday who mentioned how to some, it seems I don’t even like trimming, and would prefer all horses would just move around and wear their feet the way they should on a track system.

When this person first said it I didn’t even feel upset, because part of me is like “I mean, well, it certainly helps a lot of horses.”
If you’ve followed this page or my podcast for any length of time, you know I feel strongly about horses moving. A lot.
Does it magically “cure” horses? No way..
Does it solve every horse’s issues? Absolutely not.
Do I see whole horse improvements from movement and reading wear patterns on their hooves? You bet.

But I think the real crux of the comment was the mention about “not even liking trimming.” I’ve grappled with that comment for the last 24 hours, not because it bothers me, but because I also feel I go both ways on that statement. Let me explain.

I love my job. I adore it. I wake up every day to go trimming (barring scorching heat and terrible snow storms) and am excited to go work on horses’ feet. I regularly work on around 200 horses on and off farm, and those horses are ones I trim. So I sort of chuckle at the implication that I don’t trim, or think horses shouldn’t be trimmed (or simply all should be self-trimming/wearing their feet).

That being said, on the flip side of that coin, my enjoyment in trimming is not what I remove. My enjoyment in trimming is figuring out what that horse wants me to leave on them to keep them comfortable.

My enjoyment in trimming comes from seeing a horse that wasn’t happy to move in its own feet become more and more confident and sound over all surfaces. My enjoyment isn’t in the nipping or knifing or rasping of material, it’s the puzzle that is each and every case.

I do have some horses who prefer me to basically not touch their feet. Where a few over-ambitious rasp strokes will take them from rockcrunching sound over all terrain to footsore and needing protection. I have cases where I simply lightly roll their walls every so often to keep chips at bay. Those horses are typically moving a lot and worked over various surfaces and they enjoy their “status quo” they have found in their feet and stay incredibly sound as long as I let them have it. There are some horses where I can’t even look at their bars or soles funny or they will be upset with me. But man, do they move beautifully in work with their owners when I let them keep what they like.

And then I have horses where I’m taking down toe plane into sole (gasp!!) and trimming up laid over bar or trimming up a full nipper run every cycle, because they have feet that can handle it and they improve with more assertive trimming.

My favorite part about trimming is finding what works for the horse. And they constantly humble me and constantly ask me to stretch my idea of what is “correct” or what “normal” means.

So for those who say that “Alicia doesn’t really like trimming”.. maybe there’s a part truth to that. Do I take joy in removing material off a horse’s foot? Only if it means they will be just as sound if not better, and their feet will improve with what I’ve done.

(Picture of me trimming pre-injury for receipts 😝)

A great read and thoughtfully written.
16/05/2024

A great read and thoughtfully written.

What is the longest a horse can safely go without food?

More and more I see horses and ponies stood for long periods of time with no hay or haylage. Usually under the guise of a “weight control diet”. So how long can a horse be without food before damage is done? And what damage is done?

For those with a short attention span, I’ll give you the answer to begin with - 4 hours, maximum.

Why?

Horses are grazers. They are designed to eat constantly. They have no way of storing their acids and digestive enzymes, they’ve never needed to. They have no gall bladder to store bile and their stomachs release acid constantly, whether or not there is food in the stomach and intestines.

A horses stomach only holds approximately 8-15 litres. Depending on the substance eaten, it takes on average 4-6 hours for the stomach to completely empty. After this, the acids and enzymes start to digest the inside of the horses stomach and then the intestines. This causes both gastric and intestinal ulceration. It has been estimated that 25-50% of foals and 60-90% of adult horses suffer from ulceration. But I won’t go into detail about this, there is a lot of information around about ulcers.

So is that it? Are ulcers the only concern?

No, having an empty stomach is a stress situation for a horse. The longer they are starved, the more they release stress hormones, cortisol predominantly. Cortisol blocks insulin and causes a constantly high blood glucose level. This stimulates the body to release even more insulin, and in turn this causes fat tissue to be deposited and leptin resistance. Over time this causes insulin resistance (Equine Metabolic Syndrome). All of these mechanisms are well known risk factors for laminitis and are caused by short term starvation (starting roughly 3-4 hours after the stomach empties). Starving a laminitic is literally the worst thing you can do. Over longer periods, this also starts to affect muscle and can cause weakness, and a lack of stamina so performance horses also need a constant supply of hay/haylage to function optimally.

Let’s not forget horses are living, breathing and feeling animals. We talk about this stress reaction like it’s just internal but the horse is well aware of this stress. Door kicking, box walking, barging and many other stable vices and poor behaviour can be explained by a very stressed horse due to food deprivation (we all have that Hangry friend to explain this reaction). Next time you shout or hit a horse that dives for their net, remember their body is genuinely telling them they are going to starve to death. They know no different.

But surely they spend the night asleep so they wouldn’t eat anyway?

Not true. Horses only need 20mins REM sleep every 24 hours (jealous? I am!). They may spend a further hour or so dozing but up to 22-23 hours a day are spent eating. So if you leave your horse a net at 5pm and it’s gone by 8pm, then by 12am their stomach is empty. By 4am they are entering starvation mode. By their next feed at 8am, they are extremely stressed, physically and mentally.

Now I know the cob owners are reading this mortified. I can almost hear you shouting at your screen “if I feed my horse ad lib hay he won’t fit out the stable door in a week!!”

I will say that a horse with a constant supply of hay/haylage will eat far less then the same horse that is intermittently starved. They don’t eat in a frenzy, reducing the chance of colic from both ulcers and over eating. Cobs included.

However I’m not suggesting you sit your cob in front of a bale of haylage and say have at it! There is a difference between ad lib and a constant supply. There is much we can do to reduce calorie intake and control weight whilst feeding a constant supply.

The easiest is small holes nets. There are many. Trickle nets, greedy feeders, nibbleze, trawler nets etc. My personal favourite is the Shires Soft Mesh 1”. They don’t cost the Earth, they are easy to fill and they don’t have knots so are much gentler to the teeth. Now often I suggest these types of nets to owners and the owner tells me “Oh no, *** won’t eat out of those” 🙄 this is nonsense. If he was left it, he would. Remember, you can give a normal net and one of these for them to nibble at after. Better than leaving them with nothing at all.

A few other tricks, hang the net from the ceiling/rafters, it’s harder to eat out of a net that swings. Soak the hay, a minimum of 4 hours to be effective. Mix with straw but be sure to introduce the straw slowly and make sure it’s top quality and a palatable type eg Barley or Oat, otherwise they won’t eat it.

Don’t forget exercise. The best way to get weight off a horse is exercise. Enough exercise and they can eat what they want!

And lay off the bucket feed and treats! Horses on a diet require a vit/min supplement in the form of a balancer but that’s it. The odd slice of carrot or swede won’t do any harm but no licks, treats, treacle, molasses, cereal based rubbish. Even if it says low sugar or the marvellously misleading “No added sugar”! Your horse would rather have a constant supply of hay, I promise.

Written by Vikki Fowler BVetMed BAEDT MRCVS

A few edits for the critics-

Firstly, feeding a constant supply does not mean ad lib feeding. It means use some ingenuity and spread the recommended amount of daily forage so the horse is never stood with out food for more than 4 hours. I am not promoting obesity, quite the opposite, feeding like this reduces obesity and IR. This can be done whilst feeding your horse twice a day as most horse owners do. Just think outside the box for your own situation.

Secondly I am in the UK and this post is UK specific, use some common sense when reading. Yes in warmer climates, soaking hay for 4 hours is dangerous and studies show 1 hour is plenty in hot weather but in the UK’s arctic climate, a minimum of 4 hours is required. Equally the UK feed exclusively grass hay. I can not comment on other types.

Thirdly, yes every horse/pony and situation is different, but this is a law of nature and all horses have this anatomy and metabolism. How you achieve this constant supply is individual, the need for it is not.

Fourthly, the use of hay nets in the UK is very very high. I’d estimate 95% of horses I see are fed this way and very very few have incisor wear or neck/back issues as a result. Yes, feeding from the ground is ideal, but a constant supply, I feel trumps this. Again with ingenuity both can be safely achieved.

Finally, straw can be fed to horses safely, introduced very slowly, with fresh water always available, plus a palatable and digestible type of straw which will depend on your area. Again many horses in the UK are bedded on straw and most of them eat it. This is not a new concept to us.

Final finally 🤦‍♀️ and I feel I must add this due to the sheer number of people contacting me to ask, feed your horses during transport!!! I am astonished this is not normal in other countries! Again in the UK, we give our horses hay nets to transport. We don’t go 10 mins up the road without a haynet and a spare in case they finish! Considering we are a tiny island and we rarely transport even 4 hours, we never transport without hay available. I have never seen an episode of choke due to travelling with hay available. If you are concerned, use a slow feeder net so they can’t take too much in at once.

If you get to the end of this post and your first thought is “I can’t do this with my horse/pony, they’d be morbidly obese”, you haven’t read the advice in this post thoroughly.

Salsa soaking up every bit of sun she could before the rain found us again ⛈️
16/05/2024

Salsa soaking up every bit of sun she could before the rain found us again ⛈️

14/05/2024

Amazing stuff out of EasyCare!

After the ugly weather we’ve had it’s a beautiful day in north Texas hope you all are outside getting to enjoy it! 🐾
10/05/2024

After the ugly weather we’ve had it’s a beautiful day in north Texas hope you all are outside getting to enjoy it! 🐾

Just a few months from the Retired Racehorse Project 2024 Makeover
04/05/2024

Just a few months from the Retired Racehorse Project 2024 Makeover

Give for one, give to all: your contribution to an individual trainer fundraiser through the 2024 Make the Makeover campaign can help them earn refunded entry fees, AND help produce the biggest movement in Thoroughbred aftercare, the Thoroughbred Makeover.All eligible trainers who raise $1,000 or mo...

These three cuties have been such a joy the past couple of days.
04/05/2024

These three cuties have been such a joy the past couple of days.

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