Care of Horses.
“Our horses enjoy a life of balance in beautiful meadows where they can graze, play and rest.”
–Lisa
Horses.
The powerful nature of horses combined with their willingness to yield to humans, is a magical experience that transforms, heals, and calms us. They reach our inner spirit, as we reach theirs, in a partnership of dance, exploration, and survival.
All horses staying on the ranch, regardless of ownership, are treated with kindness and patience. If a horse shows any signs of soreness, injury, or exhaustion, they are placed in welfare camp–enjoying the lush meadows and sunshine for rest and recovery.
Enjoying your horseback ride.
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At the beginning of your ride, you will receive instructions. Listen to them, follow them, and ask questions if you don’t understand. This will help to ensure that you and your horse have the best experience together. Most of the time, when a rider has a negative experience, it’s because they did not pay attention to instructions and did not remain calm, confident, and clearly communicate.
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When you head out on the trail, remember that your horse is going on a trail ride too! You and your horse can have a great experience together when you always remain calm, while offering confident and clear commands.
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Because a horse is a horse, there can be moments when they act out or react in sync with the herd or rider. Horses feel you, they connect to you and react based on your emotions and energy. If a horse is spooked, trips, or acts in a way that is scary to you, remember to remain calm, confident, and clear no matter what! Your ability to adapt to a change in the riding experience will help return the ride back to calmness.
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The life of a horse revolves around grazing, but when a horse is working, it should not be eating. For the most enjoyable experience with your horse, she should be focused on the trail, following the lead horse, and obeying the rider's commands. Back at the ranch, they can enjoy eating as much wild grass as they want, while also enjoying social connections within the herd.
What’s a good life for a horse?
A good life to a horse is simple––food, shelter from harsh weather, and safety of the herd. Though the herd has a strong social component, horses are survival oriented––to stay safe from predators, horses must establish a hierarchy and that sometimes involves injuries from kicks and bites. If you see an injured horse on the ranch, it’s likely the result of a conflict that happened within the herd––rarely is a horse injured from a trail ride, though minor injuries can happen. This is one of the reasons that we do not run our horses on the trail. Doing so, would certainly increase the opportunity for injury because of the mountainous terrain that we enjoy on the trail ride.
To ensure our trail horses enjoy a good life, we provide them wide open pastures to graze, a steady balance of time on the trail, and we interact with them in a kind and gentle manner. Though horses are powerful creatures, they respond to calmness, confidence, and clarity of communication.
Horses do enjoy human affection, exercise, and the wonderful life that comes from living in beautiful pastures, with an abundance of lush grasses for them to enjoy.