Golden Oaks Natural Horsemanship

28/08/2023

This would be our #1 reason why. She also brings up many other reasons as well.

“6 It's Not Natural
Another reason that beet pulp use annoys me so much is because it's always added when folks are trying to feed their horse's "naturally" without all the "unknowables" of processed feeds. Oh dear. If only they knew that beet pulp is one of the most commonly used genetically modified plants grown in the world. Very little beet pulp is organically grown. “

You're going to have to read below for the long list of reasons why, but in short, beet pulp is probably not what you think it is.

27/08/2023

27/08/2023

We have 2 boarding spots available on our track system for holistic minded & barefoot horse owners. 24/7 turn out with shelter, hay provided (variety available), holistic practitioners available to schedule with, Trainer on site at least once a week, and more! Ideal candidates are ones who see the benefits of a track system and/or want to learn. Great spot for retired horses. Our facility is walkable to 600 acres of horse trails. Owners must be willing to let horses be apart of our program here to board here. Parking available for trailers uncovered.

27/08/2023

Enrollment is open! Start your horse journey here and then get on our group lesson waitlist!

Join Golden Oaks Natural Horsemanship & Samantha Thorning Horsemanship

25/08/2023

Why trim your own horses?

Barefoot horses should be trimmed every 3 to 4 weeks if no issues are present.

If the hoof is weak, in caudal failure, flaring, low heels, long toes, they should be trimmed as much as every week or 2.

Did you know their is no concensus in the farrier or barefoot world on what is the correct trim? And many theories are destroying horses' feet.

And that 8 week cycle the shod horses tend to be on, that is crippling horses.

Not to mention that all the farriers that are left are burning out! Yes, they are working hard to keep everyone's horses feet done so that the owners can go have fun. While, the farrier can hardly keep up with all the phone calls and horses in need. It's gotten to be a horse welfare issue that there is not enough farriers.

So why not learn? Most people say they are scared to make a mistake. But I have seen when owners learn and take their horses' feet into their own hands the feet tend to get better, not worse. Now, you do need help at first and when you're stuck but many of my clients trim in between my trims. To save money and make positive changes to their horses feet.

And if you don't have access to a good farrier or barefoot trimmer, then it's time to wake up and learn. Or be prepared to haul as far as you need to gain access to a good farrier.

I learned out of necessity when a farrier destroyed my riening horse with a set of sliders that he didn't apply correctly. After that I was like, "I can't do worse than that." And started the learning journey. Then I felt free! Free from depending on my farrier for every little hoof care need.

I challenge you to up your horsemanship by learning how to trim and actually doing it! Not just learning theories so you can drive your farrier crazy! But learning basic skills to help your horse in between trim cycles.

I will be posting the next trim clinic soon.

25/08/2023

To get good at horsemanship, we have to w**d out all the negatively! Everyone has their way of doing this horse thing called riding! And it is an art, so let's stop looking for praise and start getting serious about our art!

Get a mentor who knows more and read the many books from the masters and figure out what it is to really do well. And when I say do well, I mean achieve a happy horse that carries itself proudly and moves with grace. I mean, learn to ride so your horse feels sounder after you step off. Let's embrace the art and see riders as artists who create softness and suppleness in movement.

Seek deeper understanding, not constant praise, and don't let the negative comments stop you from creating a soft, beautiful horse that is enjoyable to ride.

24/08/2023

This is what a college fund looks like 🤣🤣😬.

Super thankful to the team at Curtis Weaver Trucking! This is the best Timothy we have ever gotten. Export quality.

We split this load with two other farms. But definitely wished we could keep it all. You never know how good it is until it shows up. And it’s exactly what was advertised. We love meeting honest and nice people in this horse world! They do exist!

24/08/2023

Correct way for the halter

24/08/2023

Hay day tomorrow!

It’s like Christmas morning for horse people. If you know you know. It’s also an act of God to get someone to deliver to the island 💃🏼💃🏼

But here in the Pnw is gets so wet, so it’s been trial and error and a lot of research. This might look ghetto (which it is) but it works! I have not had mold or rats in my hay since we started this method.

Use super thick plastic for the floor and ceiling. I have pallets stacked 3 high with tarps on them to keep the moisture down. And then I add desiccated moisture bags on the floor and around the walls. They fill every time.

And then once the hay is in we have a giant heavy tarp to put over the top and keep there through the winter.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

22/08/2023

Am I really giving the horses buckets of honey?! ☺️☺️

Nope! I’m gradually building their herb water free choice area. Today we have turmeric, garlic salt, apple cider vinegar, chamomile and fresh water. They also get free range minerals and/or salt blocks in their areas.

We have had lots of smoke lately. Definitely not as bad as many others which breaks our hearts to see. Chamomile has been a fan favorite and garlic salt over the last couple days. Stay hydrated!

20/08/2023

I reached out to .hoof and told them a bit about our holistic barn. Their ingredients line up with what we support. We are very eager to get to start these products! Just in time for the rainy season here. Check out our stories for a poll on who we should use these on first!

More to come once I rope into helping promote these products.

I’m truly impressed with the ingredients!

** I should preface, not many if any of our horses need this on a consistent basis bc of what we feed them. BUT I love having all of these on hand with good ingredients to use when we do! **

17/08/2023

We are very excited to host Carla here & her gift with horses and humans! Limited spots available. https://theintuitiverider.com/

16/08/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡…

When I started to understand that I need to be less human like, in terms of how I think, move and act I started to think more like a horse.

Wow, that above statement sounds crazy. But hold on😂…

As predators we have tunnelled vision, meaning if we see something we want, we find ways and means to get it. As predators we move in a certain way especially when we are wanting to get something, imagine if you were out hunting, you’d walk slowly, in a straight line and you’d have tunnel vision the only thing you will see is the prey you are hunting.

What I’ve learnt from horses is that humans are not aware of their surroundings at all, most of us go about our day without noticing much of what’s happening around us.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤, it’s made me hypersensitive to my surroundings because I feel I need to protect myself at all times.

This is like a blessing and curse, having increased peripheral vision means I can think more like my horses, and notice things they do. But on the flip side, it can make me too hypersensitive to my surroundings. For example, I remember riding out with Blue and a bird flew out of a tree, I spooked and Blue didn’t😂… this is why I said “ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡…”

Horses have SO much to teach us, all we have to do is listen. ♥️

I’m looking forward to another day of learning🐴

Art Work By - Dorota Kudyba Art

15/08/2023

Not sure where to start your horse journey? We do! We have group lessons for all ages. Get your horsey friends together and start today! No experience required. We actually love being the place where people can start or restart their horse journey!

https://community.parelli.com/share/PopmcSxadZfwa47T?utm_source=manual

&

www.gonaturalhorsemanship.com

Your natural horsemanship journey is about to begin.Golden Oaks Farm is a healthy, holistic environment for horses and horse lovers of all ages to learn, thrive and make special connections. Video and photos created by Tennison Films There is a special place for you here! We are so excited for you t...

15/08/2023

The last couple evenings I’ll let these cool cats in the arena and I just sit and see what they do.

Usually, Oakley comes up and Humphrey tries to protect me. I tell him to get out of the arena and Oakley just stands by me. And then tonight, Marygold was interested.

A couple nights ago I sat on the bridge on their track system and sweet Walter walked onto it to smell my hair and investigate.

I’ve been so bogged down with grief this year and stress. But choosing to get back to why we have these amazing creatures and spend quality time with them again and ENJOY all of their personalities. It’s like people watching in public places but better. Learning herd mentality daily.

They are so Individually unique and I’m starting to appreciate even their quirky characteristics in the process.

15/08/2023

Fun learning moment today. I’m gonna go try this with Traveller and see if we can get him better acclimated to our herd. He’s still very guarded around them and isn’t nice about it.

Let me know what you think!

In this video I help a horse that has been going after people.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ryanrosehorsemanship/Equipment Ryan Uses: https://qualityhorse...

12/08/2023

Exploring different horsey things on the island today. Second stop: Whidbey equestrian center. I had a fun talk with the “lawyer” (I can’t remember his official name) that travels around to make sure people abide by the 56 page rule book. And a lovely day to watch riders.

05/08/2023

True words. Lol

05/08/2023

Just a girl and a horse= perfection!

03/08/2023

We got some vintage magazines (early 2000’s 🤣) in the mail today. Sat down and saw so many inspiring quotes and stories.

There’s a lot of weird stuff out there about Parelli. But we have had nothing but a great experience with it. I would say our herd and students are proof. Their basis of their teachings came from some of the greatest in the industry. It’s a journey that never ends. Endless learning. I learn something new every day studying this way of life. Which is exciting!

31/07/2023

☝️💥

25/07/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬...

Forget about the riding, about the ribbons we have won, forget about the ability of our horses and all our successes. When this has gone and we are left with just a horse, this is when we will see the value of horses.

We need to not miss the miracle before our eyes, we shouldn’t wait until we have a non-ridden horse to see them for what they truly are. We are selling yourself short if we are not aware of the miracle before our eyes, the healing power the horse has and the lessons they are trying to teach us.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥" 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. How many of us can count on our hands the last time we were truly 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 with our horses, without worrying about what we are going to cook for tea, without training them for our next competition, just being 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 with them.

In these moments of 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 is where the greatest lessons are taught. In these moments of 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 the horse is teaching us how to present in the here and now, the horse is teaching us how to be self-aware. In these moments of 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 the horse is teaching us self-love and self-acceptance.

Horses show us self-love and acceptance because they have abundance of self-love and acceptance for themselves and their fellow herd friends. They don’t worry whether they have a symmetrical face, or a beautiful appearance.

They have gratitude for their bodies for keeping them alive, they have gratitude for their deep-rooted instincts for keeping them safe, they have gratitude for themselves.

If we could only be 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 with horses, humanity would learn something that can’t be bought.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬..

Written By - The Fearful Rider & The Write Lead Freelance Equestrian Writer

Needing a content writer/equestrian magazine writer? I offer freelance services ✍🏻♥️. Send me a message for more information.

Art Work By - Dorota Kudyba Art

- Total Contact Saddles
- EDIX saddles & bitless bridles
- The Western Saddler Ltd.
- Equine Products UK

25/07/2023

Critters & Company in Clinton is now a non-profit animal rescue organization as well as being a provider of products and services for a range of pets

25/07/2023

There’s something magical showing kids that horses are for more than just riding. There’s so much joy to find in the presence of these amazing animals. My hope is to help build up a whole generation ( if not more) to see the value in a relationship with your horse, even on the ground.

22/07/2023

posted this on Facebook today. Thought I’d share too!

17/07/2023

Looking to build an advisory board group to start a non-profit: main goal in mind is to create a soft landing place for horses before they end up at auction or the killpen pipeline. They will come here to heal, rehab and learn life skills to live in their domesticated world.

1. Grant savvy member
2. Financially intelligent/studious member
3. Social media savvy member
4. Community director type member

If you’re interested, let’s talk!

Michele A Kahrs

13/07/2023

This picture speaks so much if you’ve been following us for awhile! 💜💜

13/07/2023

Last day of our first ever kid’s camp. I cried. It’s really amazing to see these little humans learning how to treat horses with kindness. Start on the ground and to develop a partnership.

Our horses did such an amazing job. And all the people and some of students who helped make it happen. Thank you!

More photos to come by ! This was our only group photo :(

Thank you to the families who trusted us and for most, to be able to provide their first horse experience.

So many good things came out if this week!

13/07/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cun2DtatfcG/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thankfully I have an amazing and talented man in my corner!

09/07/2023

First hate mail that was completely unrelated to trying to help starved local horses.

First thing people hear from me here is “I choose not to ride, I don’t have a desire to” but that I love caring for and making sure my daughter has what she needs to learn. And that our horses get the best care possible. This is also why we hire because she does know!

It was insinuated that I was a liar about what we are doing here. Which I am not. But when I get hate mail I see it as a win because to me it shows that we are making a dent somewhere.

Part of why I started this program is to escape the mean girl syndrome in the horse world like this. Not everyone is gifted with a childhood with horses. Does that make us less of a horse person? So I have created a space where ANYONE no matter the age can be around these amazing creatures. Whether they want to brush them, be present with them or we hire some of the best professionals to learn the whole dynamic of having a horse, including teaching them partnership riding with horses.

So this person I say….hope I don’t see your horses in my rehab care down the road but I wouldn’t be surprised.

Many posts will evolve from this one message. I’m excited because it give me fire to keep doing what we are doing. Educating and creating safe place for all.

08/07/2023

This was the scared, insecure, hated humans Marygold we received before she had a voice. She hurt herself everywhere she went. I didn’t pick her back feet for 6 months. Her distrust in humans wanted to kill me when I first tried to get her out of the stall. To say we have come a long way is an understatement. Yes it’s taken years to debrief her from her previous life and the killpen pipeline. But it’s been totally worth it. We would like to help horses BEFORE they have to go through this. Marygold is one that will always stay with us. Most humans would not have the patience for her and that’s why she ended up where she did. Every horse that becomes apart of our herd will ALWAYS have a voice and when they can’t bare to be apart of the human world, We will be that voice for them until they have the energy and confidence to be that for themselves. We as humans must do better by these creatures! See last post for transformation photo.

08/07/2023

We are considering a "Marygold Donation Fund" (the one that started it all) as we move forward with our mission to help keep horses out of the killpen pipeline.

I will be posting informational posts about this horrible industry in the process. Along with the AMAZING care our horses get here when they become apart of our herd. Interviews with each of our herd members and their story that is worth telling. We will also be starting a "sponsor" a horse page where you can see the break down of what each of our horses need each month. You're welcome to donate that certain item or funds to go towards their care. In return, we would like to hear from you on rewards...... Come sit with your sponsored horse, come brush them, come learn more about what we do here with holistic care and the track system, virtual meeting with them if you're not local, etc..... There are just a few ideas so we can help more horses that are offered to us, SO they don't go to auction or killpens.

We are not a non-profit and I am not sure we ever will be. For many reason. But you will get honesty, openness, and breakdowns of financials each month. No question is a dumb question. We want to invite the community in to what we are doing and to specifically keep these amazing creatures from going to one of the worst places on earth.

Help us, help them!

The horse industry is hurting BADLY since the hay prices have gone up, inflation, people losing their jobs and homes..... Not everyone can have horses, consider being apart of our movement as we help them.

Some horses will ultimately stay here with us because they might never be fully understood. And some we will rehab and find the most perfect forever home for them with a guarantee that they will come back to us if they cannot be cared for.

**If anyone has experience forming a nonprofit, please reach out. I am not opposed but will need help building a team**

**If you want our wishlist now, please send me a message!**

04/07/2023

We’ve got a new nose in town 😍

Meet Traveller! “Trav” he’s one of the most magical horses I have ever met. I can’t quite explain why but when you meet him you will understand.

His journey stops here. One of our Main goals in the horse world is to stop horses from going to the killpen pipeline and home after home. He was my 6th horse offered to me for free over a 2 month period.

He was not to be passed up. We take in the misunderstood and we work with them until they are confident creatures again.

No more traveling for this guy. We picked “Traveller” for many reason. One being, his travels end here.

Welcome to the herd old man. Happy to have you and learn from you daily. You will always have a voice here.

30/06/2023

Walter update!

We did get an amazing vet out here so we didn’t have to haul him in. It also saved us 100’s of dollars. Which we are thankful for.

He’s eating his soaked pellets. Pooping. We just need him to drink more water. Lots of good sounds in his belly. Not rolling anymore. And has his sparkle in his eye back.

Stay tuned. But I’m hoping we are almost out of the woods.

30/06/2023

If you all know our amazing Walter (and even if you don’t) please send positive energy to him and his digestion. He did great on our trip to idaho but with him being old I think he’s dehydrated right now and possibly colicking. We are doing all the things. And will haul him in if I can’t get a vet out here. But that stress alone won’t help. So please also envision a vet coming out to our place.

29/06/2023

https://forageplus.co.uk/horse-track-systems-10-brilliant-budget-ideas/n/25/?fbclid=IwAR0FHRRvkPRbBpvqMSyH38LzG-m5clrvd5RKLHNcKlMXJaodeNk5D86SzPA_aem_AWp34ilqIudZegi4TLW5LFCIduFP1Q3VgB52mhJHHgTxT3ljG6Jq_47naMZXVbMmUhE

Forageplus

Horse track systems are a way of keeping horses to maintain weight, avoid laminitis .... get tips on creating a budget track for your horse.

28/06/2023

We have a couple spots open for our July class!