Big Dog Ridge

17/08/2022

16/08/2022

Dr Tom Shurlock, talks us through the importance of water for the horse and advises on how we can ensure our horses stay hydrated.

01/08/2022

You are wild and infinite.
Turn off your television. Open your windows.
Find open spaces. Run to the Ocean.
"The sea will speak to you if you become quiet enough."

There is magic in these mountains.
There are spirits in these old pines.
These are the places they wrote about.
The places they sang for and explored.

Brothers and Sisters, you are wild and infinite.
You are the wolves and the fish.
You are these trees and these rivers.
So when you sit, sit like a mountain.

None of these places will last. These buildings will fail.
These trees will fall. And these mountains?
Even the mountains will change.

So go easy Brothers and Sisters. Be kind.
It's a long walk home.

~ The Infinite Spark of Being

26/07/2022

Great article on long Vs short grass for horses. We are very happy to have a mix of many types of grasses here that the horses love to explore.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5266646123389435&id=295310993856331

5 Reasons why long grass is better than short grass for horses.

1. Generally the further up the stalk the horse eats, each cell of the plant has a higher fibre/sugar ratio.
2. Eating longer grass means the horse has to chew more, slowing the intake while increasing the essential flow of saliva. The saliva helps to buffer the stomach acid.
3. A healthy horse eats until they have a specific volume of fibre in their stomach before stopping. So eating short grass with a high-sugar and low fibre ratio means a horse consumes a lot of high-sugar grass before enough fibre is ingested to trigger that 'full enough' feeling and finish their grazing bout.
We should focus on increasing our pastures' fibre content, which will reduce the NSC intake.
4. Short grass is usually stressed grass, constantly trying to recover/grow. Therefore it will store/hang on to a lot of Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSCs) (sugars/starches) in preparation for when growing conditions improve.
5. Long grass creates a longer root system, improving both the health of the grass, the soil biome and it follows the health of the horse.
Read the full article here. https://www.equiculture.net/blog/horses-short-grass-or-long-grass along with many other great articles.

20/07/2022

Inhale.
Silently call all of your power back to you.

Exhale.
Silently release all unwanted attachments.

Focus.
Remember who and what you are.

11/07/2022

Please acknowledge every quiet, small, unseen act of courage that brought you to now...

The gradual reopening of your heart after it fractured.

The awakening into a necassary healing.

The turning away from self-doubt.

That is bravery.

~Rebecca Ray

26/06/2022

https://carsonjames.com

25/06/2022

Winter is cold but it is also beautiful 💕

23/06/2022

Softness has such a power to it.

When you choose to soften into something it relaxes. It opens.

Tension releases.

Stuck energy flows.

Bringing much needed oxygen.

Life force and warmth enters.

Connection is rekindled.

Find the trust you need to allow softness in.

It really is ~ Healing.

~ Job Bonezweski

20/06/2022

Livery available
Shongweni KZN

We have two spaces available on the farm for the right horses

Live out
Herd based
Retirement
Grow Out
Learn to be a horse again

Full or half livery (horse dependant)

(Barefoot horses will get preference, no back shoes allowed)

Please whatsapp or email me as per contact info on image

07/06/2022

If you allow yourself to be swept up in the depths of your darkness, you will be met with a light that reveals to you how your wounds can be transformed into your greatest gifts.

The greater the pain, the deeper you go within.

The deeper you go within, the higher you rise.

And then you suddenly realize… that you are the light ~

04/06/2022

Be grounded.

Feel your spirit grounded deep within the earth.

Feel how you are calm, strong, centered & peaceful.

Feel how you are able to let go of fear & trust that you are eternally safe.

And you are worthy of all things beautiful.

19/05/2022

Take the Halters OFF.

This has been said before, but it is so important that it needs being said again.

In regards to your horses, one of the most dangerous ( and deadly ) things that can happen is leaving the halter on your horse. This is because it is easy for the halter to get caught on something like a tree branch, T-Post, gate latch, getting a back foot caught in it, etc . When it does, the horse will panic and could very easily break it's neck trying to get loose. I understand that many of you will say that your horse has worn it's halter for years and never gotten hurt. You have been luck "so far". There are many horses that wore their halter for years until the time that they got it caught on something and broke their neck.

I also understand that many of you will say that you can't catch your horse without it wearing the halter. "Yes" you can. If you can get close enough to catch the halter you are close enough to catch the horse without it. Also, for those that say that you board and that it is a rule that every horse wears a halter, then I would be moving your horse. You should care as much about your horse's safety as you do your children's safety. It is depending on you to take care of it. So Take the Halters off

Last, NO using a "breakaway" halter isn't an excuse. They don't always break , so the horse still breaks it's neck, or if it does break, it teaches the horse that if it pulls back that it can break any halter.

You need to remember that your horse is depending on you to do your best to keep it safe, the same as you do for your children. Therefore, their is NO excuse to leave the halter on so, don't try to make one.

18/05/2022

There are going to be things that resonate with you that no one will understand.

You will believe in things that others will think is wrong.

Figuring out who you are and what you have faith in, is like navigating the blueprint of your soul.

Be mindful not to allow others to plant doubt into the things that bring peace to your spirit.

What is meant for you is unique to you alone.

Walk in your authentic power.

08/05/2022

Most people need to be shocked awake to the truths of the world to awaken to the truth of their soul.

The masses will not look inward until their outer world as they know it completely crumbles... and the only place left to look is within.

When you find out that virtually everything you’ve been told about the world is a lie ~ you will finally open your mind to seek the truth.

When you find out the authorities and systems you’ve been following are corrupt beyond comprehension ~ you will never again give your power away.

You will never see the world the same way again.

This is what it takes to shock the world awake.

A shock felt in every heart rippling around the world.

This is what it takes because the people will not believe it until they see it.

They will not heal it until they feel it.

This is what it takes to let go of the illusion, to awaken to what is real.

02/05/2022

Thick Skin.

We often hear horses being described as having thick skin, to be able to withstand the whack of a crop or the jab of a pointy spur without pain. The truth is, the epidermis of skin on a horse is thinner than that of a human, at 0.05mm for equines compared to 0.08mm for humans. What this means is that they have fewer skin cells between the environment and sensitive nerve endings.

So when perpetuating the myth of thick skin, what it really boils down to is an excuse for rougher, harsher interactions with the horse, as well as less consideration to things such as tack under the misguided belief that it doesn't hurt them, or at least as much.

Just because an animal is presumed to have thick skin doesn't excuse the relentless prodding of spurs, cracking of the whip or willful ignorance on the importance of suitable equipment and training methods.

Beyond spurring and whipping, a cracked girth, lumpy sheepskin, wrinkled leather will also cause severe discomfort and pain to your equine partner. The partner you are solely responsible for ensuring is comfortable and safe.

Even something like the placement of the buckle of the girth can cause injury to the skin, delicate fascia, nerves and muscles, which will cause the horse to react to that pain by being girthy along with a slew of other behavioral symptoms.

Yet too often, the riders and owners try to tackle the symptom without ever considering that there is an underlying cause. Misinformation is abundant in the horse world, from thickness of skin to the importance of fitting equipment and postural correctness.

AS WRITTEN IN THE STUDY:
"...the study indicates that a horse's skin may feel even more sensation than human skin.
Tong made these determinations by comparing flank skin from a horse and the equivalent skin on a human, examining skin structure and location, and amount of nerve tissue. She then stained the nerve tissue, which showed that horses have more nerve endings than humans."

22/04/2022

Purpose ~

Do not forget who you are and where you come from.

You are made of the brightest stars and the widest oceans.

You are made of the highest mountains and the tallest trees.

You are made of magic and dreams, wishes and light.

You have heroes, warriors, kings, queens, gods and goddesses flowing through your veins.

You come from infinite possibilities and incredible odds.

You are here for a reason.

~ Walk the Earth

06/04/2022

✨Two spaces available for full, live out livery on the farm ✨

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

Day camp
Night camp
Shelter
Fed twice daily
Checked by hands on owner who works and lives on the property
Lovely outriders
5 mins from DSC

Shongweni, KZN

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

18/03/2022

We are always in some kind of mood.

It might be sadness, it might be anger, it might be not much of anything, just a kind of blur.

It might be humor or contentment.

In any case, whatever it is, that's the path.

When something hurts in life, we don't usually think of it as our path or as the source of wisdom.

In fact, we think that the reason we're on the path is to get rid of this painful feeling.

In this way, we naively cultivate a subtle aggression against ourselves.

However, the fact is that anyone who has used the moments, days and years of his or her life to become wiser, kinder and more at home in the world has learned from what's happening right now.

We can aspire to be kind right in the moment, to relax and open our heart and mind to what is in front of us right in the moment.

Now is the time.

If there's any possibility for enlightenment, it's right now, not at some future time.

~ Pema Chodron

12/03/2022

The big guy telling everyone what to do, even with a bruised foot 🤦🏻‍♀️

12/03/2022

🌞 shine, horses and tractors 💜 just another Saturday at the farm ✨

10/03/2022

We have one more space left to the right horse/human partnership. If you are looking for an abundance of space where your horse can be a horse and spend their day grazing with our little herd then this might just be for you. Horses live out 24/7.

Fed twice a day and spend the evening safe and secure in the night camp with shelter.

My goal is to offer the kind of space for horses that I have searched for for years within the Summerveld/Shongweni area. Just 10 mins from Hillcrest and 5 mins from DSC. Full and half livery available.

Preference will be given to barefoot or transitioning horses, strictly no back shoes allowed.

01/03/2022

✨✨✨✨✨✨SPECIAL OFFER✨✨✨✨✨✨

I have 10 X 50kg bags of A grade Sunflower oil cake available at R400 per bag. Usually R550 a bag. First come first serve. Available from Shongweni.

28/02/2022

If you are looking for a beautiful farm style yard for your horse we have one spot available for the right horse/human partnership.

- No stables
- No small paddocks
- No individually kept horses

HERD BASED
ACRES OF GRAZING
NIGHT CAMP (with shelter)
NATURAL SHADE
FED TWICE A DAY

Let your horse live like a horse. Barefoot preferable, no back shoes allowed. Small herd and ideal for the happy hack or retired horse/pony.

Farm living at its best, property is still a work in progress.

WhatsApp Amelia 0745896993 to enquire.

21/02/2022

Some pics from this weekend. Clearing bush and cutting grass. This is such a beautiful property and the horses are loving the freedom to forage 😍

21/02/2022

We managed to open up a new big section of grazing for the horses 🤩 we still have much more to clear but it's fantastic to see progress!

21/02/2022

A weekend of grass cutting and bush clearing

21/02/2022

A weekend of blood sweat and tears on the farm but it is so worth it when progress can be seen and the horses are happy ✨🌸