GCA & Sport Horses

01/15/2025

Can’t be scared ~ to start your breeding program…..the fear will keep you from fulfilling your dreams. Can’t let outside noise distract you…..it will zap you from having the energy to dream.

Dreams are the equivalent of goals. Get rid of the fear and get ready to put a plan in place!

📚📚📚 ❤️

01/14/2025

A great visual comparison.

01/13/2025

01/12/2025

Taking a much needed break. We’ll be back first thing early Monday morning. This very wet, cold and unprecedented temperatures for our area have been tiring.

Thank you ALL for stopping by, commenting, liking and/or posting here on our farm page. We hope each and every one of you are staying dry, safe and warm. As always, if you need to reach us directly please consider sending us a private message here or text us on our business line.

Hope you ALL get to also take a moment for yourself and relax. After all it is something needed once in a while 😉

Happy 😊 Sunday to ALL!

01/10/2025

Soooo you want to start a breeding program do you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Are you sure you are ready to do this????

😜

01/09/2025

See that b***y?? TWENTY-FIVE yes 2️⃣5️⃣ years old! A tad dirty but LQQKING 👀 good for a Sexy Senior Stallion ☺️

🐎

01/08/2025

Boys……..sometimes all you can do is shake your head 🤪

01/07/2025

The more we know!!!

Did you know that a horse that hasn't been how to properly support and carry the weight of a rider will instinctually hollow their back away from the weight of the rider? Many riding horses spend their entire careers going around with hollow backs, even upper level competition horses.

Carrying weight with a hollow back is, at best, uncomfortable for the horse, and in many cases is actually quite painful. Many horses tolerate this discomfort because they don't know any alternative. Other horses develop behavioral problems and become labeled as bad horses.

For a horse to remain healthy and comfortable in his work he must be taught how to support the weight of a rider with first a neutral back and then later on with a lifted back. This is a process that takes time, as you can't rush muscle development.

I've found that the best way to teach a horse to lift his back is on the ground first, through classical in hand work. Without the extra weight of the rider, it is easier for the horse to learn how to lift his back and it is easier for him to develop the strength that he needs in order to maintain a lifted back for an extended amount of time.

Once the horse has and understanding of this healthier posture and has developed some strength, it will be much easier for him to accomplish the same thing with a rider on his back.

The horse will then feel more comfortable and have an easier time performing his job. He will be less prone to injuries and behavioral problems and he will be able to continue doing his job for much longer than if he never learned to move in a healthy way.

As stewards of our horses, we owe it to them to give them the best lives possible. That includes taking the time to teach them how to move in a way that is healthy and comfortable for them.

Want to learn more about the horse's back and how you can teach him a healthy posture? We invite you to join our Healthy Movement through In Hand Work course, available in our Virtual Classroom. You'll learn how you can help your horse to move in a healthier way through the use of In Hand Work.

This work is beneficial for horses of all ages, breeds, and disciplines and no previous experience is necessary.

Learn more and sign up here- https://tuskeydressage.com/register/virtual-classroom/

01/06/2025

Notice anything different? Yeppers ~ this kiddo not only got his blanket off but got it off (evidently) quite easily…..belly straps unhooked and completely intact. Husband has nicknamed him Houdini 😩.

We tried to keep him warm and dry but evidently he had other ideas 💡

01/06/2025

One of the first topics to be discussed in the breeding mentorship program below ⬇️

It’s really really important to choose your circle ⭕️ wisely! From the beginning, through-out the process until you put that foal you bred on the trailer to head to their new home! And it doesn’t/shouldn’t end there

Foundations are NOT just important when you’re talking about your home or your horse’s feet……you need a solid well thought out fundamental understanding of what the foundation is for your breeding program. We’ll provide a short introduction of what this looks like in one of our upcoming lesson plans with a couple of examples of how to recognize what your very own foundation can look 👀 like.

01/05/2025

Hadn’t heard about a next anticipated storm for the 10th and 12th yet. Urgh!!!

But regardless ~ we know Keene will be on top of it in order to be safe as possible when he’s hauling everyone’s precious cargo.

In order to avoid this situation from a few years ago on I-95 between Richmond and Washington DC, I have adjusted pickups and deliveries for Sunday and Monday to insure I have no horses on the trailer during this storm. There is another storm forecasted between the 10th and 12th and at this point departure out of Ocala for PA and Buffalo are on schedule. As we get a more accurate forecast there maybe changes necessary for both northbound and southbound ponies.

01/05/2025

Now I know I’m short, however there are a few here who remind me of just exactly how short I really am 😩

Credit to artist:

Jody Livak Werner

01/04/2025

Our neighbor has a case of the a*z and we couldn’t be happier about it 🤣😂😆

Meet Bogey everyone! Born late summer this year. A great source of entertainment for both the horses and the humans!

01/03/2025

With our approaching winter 🥶 weather forecast of low temperatures and snow ❄️ this shared post is most timing appropriate!

FUN FACT FRIDAY!

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
•
Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

01/03/2025

As a whole, many have ignored the fact that a good breeder is in truth a master craftsman of the highest standards. Getting these resulting foals in the right hands is also often times an overlooked talent. Breeding and selling foals is a process. And if done correctly can be very rewarding for everyone involved!

It takes a village ~ and the absolute right village at that! You MUST choose your circle carefully.

Pictured:
GA Eastwood
(HG Esquire+ x L.A. Baltic Sunflower 🌻)