So Beautiful....

Summer Heat

Summer is in full swing now.  With all this heat, please pay special attention to your animals.  Make sure they have plenty of water to drink and do your best to keep them cool.  Take them swimming, rinse them off, put a fan up in their pens and stalls.  Mic and Cash have their own ways of staying cool.  Who knew our pond was this fascinating?

Beautiful......

Thank You!

We would like to give a great big THANK YOU to our wonderful seamstress.  GiGi is the fastest there is.  She is the sweetest person and always has a smile on her face.  We would be lost without you GiGi.  Thank you so very much for all you do for us.

Go to our facebook to play!!

Go to our facebook to play!!

WIN FREE SUNGLASSES!!! Go to our Facebook to play!

Been Riding?

Weather has been nice and sunny lately!  Have you been on any rides recently?  Sherri sure has been soaking up the summer.  Better soak it up while you can.  According to the stores,  Thanksgiving is just around the corner ya know.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!!

Happy Birthday to to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Kristen!!!! Happy birthday to you!
.....and many more on channel four.... hahaha!  May be two days early, but we wish you a very happy day my dear! 

Lots of love,

Your charming team

These Texas one eared or two eared bridles sure do have some pretty looking hardware on them.  I'm a fan.

LOOK OUT!

KEEP A LOOK OUT!  Contest is coming up!  You don't want to miss it!  We will be posting all the details a week from today on the 24th.  We will also be announcing a new tradition that you will benefit from greatly!  Keep a close eye on us!

Picures just keep surfacing.  Found this one hanging in Cash's stall this morning.  He must have had a great time.  Little selfy action going on.  hahaha!

A Horse's Tail

This man can write!  Guess we book worms all know that though.  I love his works, but with horses being near and dear to my heart, this one is a favorite.  I can re-read it a million times.  I probably have at this point.  If you love horses, this is a must read.  If you love Mark Twain, than this is a must have.....if you love reading, this is a must have!  Really, just go buy it...... lol

Yummy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSADoUUGIMI

Its Friday!

Here's a little cuteness to get your weekend started!  Happy Friday!

Come watch Cash and Mic get some up close and personal camera time :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFqdeKE0v9c

Would you look at that....

I cannot believe these two...off visiting Ireland.  No wonder they are sleepy during the day.  LOL

The Hydrated Horse

Summers coming!  It's so important to insure that your horse is getting plenty to drink. 

"Any treatise on caring for horses you’ve ever read probably includes the line, “Provide access to plenty of fresh, clean water.” Though we all understand that this is good advice—after all, all living things need this simple, essential liquid—we don’t tend to give water a lot of consideration as part of the equine diet."

 Read the entire article at the following link.  Its a good one!

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/33971/the-hydrated-horse

Oh my, the cuteness of this video is overwhelming.  How precious.  You must go watch it!

https://www.facebook.com/Horseaddict/videos/779376148790922/?pnref=story 

Well...Mic and Cash got out in last nights storm.  Mic has just been looking for a break.  Judging by Cash's camera we collected, we think their adventures took them a little far.  What do you think?  Who knows what pictures we are about to find....

Are fruit trees safe in horse pastures?

Q:  We just bought a property that has a very small orchard. We would like our horse to have the freedom to roam everywhere, but we haven’t been able to find out much about any risks the fruit trees might pose to him. The orchard has one or two trees each of oranges, lemons, avocados, loquats, pomegranates and figs. Our horse has pre-metabolic syndrome, mild Cushing’s and laminitis, but he is actually very healthy. Should he be allowed access to the trees? What do horses do with pits---spit them out or swallow them?

A:  Orchards can be wonderful for the family but are not always the best for your horse. With fruit trees, you have to be concerned about the horse eating not only the fruit but also the pits, leaves and bark. Depending on the tree, each part may present a separate danger. Keep in mind, too, that the horse may beat you to the harvest and leave slim pickings for the family.

Horses can acquire a taste for all of the fruits on your property, none of which themselves pose a problem if eaten in small quantities, except maybe avocados. However, your biggest concern with allowing free access to the orchard would be the total amount of fruit your horse could consume. With this selection of trees, he would have access to fruit almost year-round.  For a horse with a history of laminitis and in the early stages of Cushing’s0 disease, I would not recommend free access to the orchard because the fruit has a high sugar content. Here are some individual characteristics and concerns with the different fruit trees in your orchard: 

Oranges and lemons

Fruit: These citrus fruits are not harmful. Horses can acquire a taste for them, and some eat the whole fruit, peel included. Oils found in peels may be irritating to the lips and corners of the mouth. Dried citrus pulp (the leftover material from juice production) is a common ingredient in livestock feed and can be used in horse feed in limited quantity.

Seeds: Orange and lemon seeds are not harmful to horses in small amounts, although no research has been done on consumption of larger quantities. High-protein seed residue can be used in cattle feed. Orange seeds are used in human herbal medicine for urinary tract ailments and malaria. Lemon seeds have been used as a natural anthelmintic in children, and the oil is prized as an antioxidant used in lotions and cosmetics.

Tree bark: Horses tend not to bother the bark on these trees; it must be bitter or strong tasting. The oils found in the bark can be irritating to the skin.

Leaves: Because the leaves are bitter, horses tend to avoid them. In humans, orange leaves are used for digestive issues and lemon leaves for colic.

Another note: Free access to lemon trees could be problematic because the branches have thorns. 

Avocados

Fruit: The fruit of the avocado contains a compound called persin that is dangerous to livestock (although harmless to people). Persin is an oily fungicidal toxin that, it is believed, the trees create as a defensive mechanism against insects and fungi. Consuming large amounts of this toxin can cause noninfectious mastitis, gastritis, colic and possibly damage to the heart. Reports exist of horses consuming avocado without ill effects, but there is always a potential for problems.

Pit: The pit of the avocado is large enough to pose a choking threat if the horse does not chew it adequately. While the avocado pit is high in protein, it also contains persin and is high in tannins, which if consumed in large quantities are destructive to the intestinal tract and kidney.

Leaves: The avocado tree leaves contain toxic compounds, including persin, dopamine and methyl chavicol. The toxicity can vary in severity depending on the variety of avocado tree.

Tree bark: Essential oils (methyl chavicol and anethole) found in avocado tree bark have an anise odor that can make it appealing to horses, but the presence of persin renders it nocuous.

- See more at: http://equusmagazine.com/article/fruit-trees-pastures-25779#sthash.4KFjgXzf.dpuf

Some species of trees pose a threat to equine heatlh. - See more at: http://equusmagazine.com/article/fruit-trees-pastures-25779#sthash.4KFjgXzf.dpuf

Some species of trees pose a threat to equine heatlh. - See more at: http://equusmagazine.com/article/fruit-trees-pastures-25779#sthash.4KFjgXzf.dpuf