Hillcroft Acres Riding Stable Memories

23/01/2024

in this part 3 of my Denver Stock Show Series we watch the amazing show jumping Grand Prix for $40,000 winnings. First, they must jump a round of 5' jumps a...

02/01/2024

Hope this finds you having an amazing start to New Year's week 2024, can you believe it ...already 2024 time is going too quick. Thank you for watching and ...

26/12/2023

A complete warm up is arguably one of the most important things you can do for your horse. 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗴.

This is more than loping for 45 minutes.

This is more than making one sweat.

This is 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸.

Walk, walk & walk some more. In fact, the more the better.

Let’s briefly compare to the relevance with athletes — human athletes. A proper warm up is rarely an overlooked step in the pre-work routine. In fact, the warm up is not taken lightly. Our horses are no different.

The warm up, pre-competition or not, is a form of injury prevention. This is similar to gum. An unused piece of gum is firm, stiff, and easy to break. One wrong move and we snapped the piece of gum. However, after the piece is chewed for a few minutes mobility is added. Now, the gum is flexible and easily moveable. Our body is very comparable.

A horse’s frog plays a valuable role in the circulation of the entire limb, injury prevention, and preparing the body for work. This process of sending blood up through the leg is known as the pumping mechanism.

“Blood is pumped from the heart through arteries to the hoof and is assisted in its return through a ‘pumping mechanism’ in the hoof,” said Craig Wood, University of Kentucky. “This mechanism is necessary due to the position of the hoof in relation to the heart. There are no muscles in the lower leg or hoof to aid in the return of venous blood to the heart. Thus, the hoof has to pump venous blood back to the heart.”
https://horses.extension.org/blood-pumping-mechanism-of-the-hoof/

One of the major jobs of the frog is aiding as a “pump” to push blood out of the hoof and back up the limb. The frog makes contact with the ground activating the pump to send the blood from the hoof up the leg.

The healthier, wider frog sends the more blood flow through the limb and a develops a stronger hoof. Likewise, the smaller, more contracted frog results in decreased circulation through the leg. The legs that may tend to stock up easier.

“When the horse puts a foot down, this dissipates concussion and the blood squishes out of it with that impact and goes back up the leg,” said Tia Nelson, DVM, farrier and veterinarian with Valley Veterinary Hospital. “It’s a brilliant multipurpose structure. Thus, a horse with a healthy frog won’t be stocking up as much, and the feet and legs are healthier. It affects the whole body.”
https://thehorse.com/136542/equine-hoof-care-the-flourishing-frog/

Increased walking = Increased circulation through the limb (pumping mechanism) = Decreased likelihood of distal limb injury

Let’s circle back around to the physical warm up. Besides circulation up the leg, why is walking and a slow warm up so important?
1. 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥?
Walking without restriction for a 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 of 8-10 minutes. But, always keep in mind 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵. This goes back to the gum analogy. We are warming the body and increasing mobility preparing it to withstand the duties of work.

2. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘅𝘆𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗱
When you first pull your horse out of their pen, the muscles are not fully supplied with appropriate amounts of oxygen and blood flow required for contraction-relaxation cycle of the muscle fibers. We have to spend the time and prepare the body — give the body the tools.
𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 15% 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥?
While in a parasympathetic state the body is going through “rest and digest.” So, the remaining circulatory blood is dedicated to the digestive system and organs. However, during work 85% of the circulatory blood is delivered to muscles. That critical time spent walking is where this transition from 15% to 85% occurs. This is when the body resupplies the body with the fuel necessary to work.

3. 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱
10 minutes of relaxed walking does more than physically prepare your horse for work. Allow the mind 10 minutes to have a break and release tension. Give your horse 10 minutes to themselves.

🌟Spend the extra time now, to increase the chances at a long-lasting career.🌟

Here’s your key to treating their bodies like the athletes they are. 🔑🤍

08/10/2023

Welcome to my next horse-crazy film where we spend time with these amazing creatures. Thank You for watching, please like and comment below if you like to r...

12/08/2023

“Parents, let your daughters grow up to be horse girls, because they will learn quickly and repeatedly that life isn’t fair, that hard work is often trumped by Lady Luck, and that every defeat, no matter how terrible, is temporary. Let them dream big and kick on. Let them learn confidence, grace and grit. Let them build big muscles and strong backs.

Let your daughters grow up in the barn. Let them learn that buckets need filling and stalls need cleaning, even when it’s raining, even when it’s frozen, even when they have a different idea for how the day should go.

Let them set goals and reach them. Let them set goals and fail miserably. Let them learn that, if they work incredibly hard, practice like hell, ride the best quality horse they can and take impeccable care of him, they’re sometimes going to get beat by someone with 10 times the money and one tenth the drive.

Teach them to drive trucks and trailers and ATVs. Teach them to change tires and wrap legs and give shots. And let them leave a spur mark, or a bit rub, or a bandage bow, and let them deal with the shame of causing pain to an animal they love.

Let them grow up with horses and with good horse people, because it will teach them to be humble, and to be resilient, and to be brave.”

Article credit Lauren Sprieser http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/let-your-daughters-grow-up-to-be-horse-girls

Wild Oats Photography

10/06/2023

Hi I hope you will enjoy my Famous Warhorse story. Thank you for watching!!

31/05/2023

05/04/2023

"Big Red"

A poem written by Blood Horse editor Joseph Alvie Estes, first published October 23, 1937:

The days are long at Belmont.
Speed they never learn.
And it's many a day since Man o' War
Has looped the upper turn.

The guineas stopped their rubbing,
The rider dropped his tack
When the word went round that Man o' War
Was coming on the track.

The crowd was hoarse with cheering
At ancient Pimlico
The day he won the Preakness-
But that was long ago.

The dust is deep at Windsor,
The good old days are gone.
And many a horse is forgotten,
But they still remember one.

For he was a fiery phantom
To that multitudinous throng-
Would you wait for another one like him?
Be patient: years are long.

For here was a horse among horses,
Cast in a Titan's mold,
And the slant October sunlight
Gilded the living gold.

He was marked with the god's own giving
And winged in every part;
The look of eagles was in his eye
And Hastings' wrath in his heart.

Young Equipoise had power
To rouse the crowded stand,
And there was magic in the name
Of Greentree's Twenty Grand.

And Sarazen has sprinted,
And Gallant Fox has stayed,
And Discovery has glittered
In the wake of Cavalcade.

We watch the heroes parading,
We wait, and our eyes are dim,
But we never discover another
Like him.

A foal is born at midnight
And in the frosty morn
The horseman eyes him fondly
And a secret hope is born.

But breathe it not, nor whisper,
For fear of a neighbor's scorn:
He's a chestnut c**t, and he's got a star-
He may be another Man o' War.

Nay, say it aloud--be shameless.
Dream and hope and yearn,
For there's never a man among you
But waits for his return.

17/02/2023

Hello and welcome to my continuing storytime and documentary on horse history. From dinosaurs to saving the mustangs, horses have come on a long and harrowi...

07/02/2023

06/02/2023

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ′′ healing ′′ that occurs when we're close to horses. According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body. While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a ′′ coherent ′′ heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can ′′ feel better ′′ when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy ".

Pintura author: Svatava Hueberová

12/01/2023

26/12/2022

Merry Christmas I hope this brings you much joy and I love telling stories. I spotted this Christmas card where Santa is driving a team of eight horses and ...

03/12/2022

Happy Holidays coming to all of you! I wanted to do my own vlogmas and begin with the beautiful ponies of course! Whats next? We will see soon. Always hav...

07/08/2022

Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet on The Pie

20/07/2022

Yep! ❤️ …

03/06/2022

https://www.bouldercounty.org/disasters/wildfires/marshall/Welcome to my end-of-the-winter horse film and a documentary of the Colorado Marshall fires in Dec...

02/02/2022

12/12/2021

What does a hermaphrodite, flipper feet, and huge abscesses have in common? They were all rescued in this incredible episode of Horse Shelter Heroes! We at...

08/12/2021

J5 Equine Premium Splint Boots are made with an ultra-durable nylon. J5 Equine Splint Boots are the new standard when it comes to equine comfort and protection. J5 Equine Premium Splint Boots are rugged and extremely tough and can withstand heavy daily riding. It doesn’t matter what your discipl...

03/12/2021

This horse understood the assignment! 🎶

Expect the unexpected, . 🤩

📸: Stefan Keturi

01/12/2021

Hi, welcome to the Halloween Horse Games at Standley Lake Stables. We all had an amazing time. Thank you for watching, please watch all my other fun videos...

28/11/2021

07/11/2021

Here’s a fun video with highlights of our Halloween horse show - games -
Thank you for watching and helping me on my journalism journey on you tube.

Hi, welcome to the Halloween Horse Games at Standley Lake Stables. We all had an amazing time. Thank you for watching, please watch all my other fun videos...

23/06/2021

Hi here is my Liberty Training Clinic Highlights part 2 film , take a look, like and subscribe Thank you!!! https://youtu.be/pfYKy4EtxUc

Welcome back to our Day 2 of Liberty Clinic Highlights. What a beautiful day with some wind. It was a fun time to learn to bond with our horses. Thank you...

10/06/2021

Welcome to my latest stable film of the Liberty Clinic. If you could please like and subscribe, would help my youtube journey Thankyou!!

Welcome to Day One of the Liberty Clinic at the barn. Liberty training is a form of exercise to perform with your horse to bond and teach trust. A whip is ...

10/06/2021

Welcome to my video about spring coming to the farm! I will be filming all the improvements coming soon. Miles is receiving all his therapies for his foot....

03/06/2021

Do we have a toxic debt culture in the dressage world?
Does it sometimes get in the way of the horsemanship?

Here’s some of my thoughts, what do you think?

Your horse doesn’t owe you anything, he never has.

He never owed you in the first place. A horse is incapable of owing us anything.

He never asked for this life, these expectations were placed upon him.

It is not up to you to decide that he now doesn’t owe you anything because you feel good about achieving something together, because a dressage judge made you feel validated.

The burden of debt in this relationship is heavy in the other direction.

It doesn’t matter how much you paid for him, how many matchy-matchy sets you bought him, how much you’ve forked out in vets bills or even how many tears you have shed over him.

A horse is a horse, he came into this world to be a half-ton bunny rabbit. He doesn’t care whether he has designer parents or a fancy price tag. He cares about feeling safe and comfortable with his needs met. By some miracle, most of them also seek to cooperate with us once they trust our intentions.

He very graciously and generously goes along with our silly games and crazy ideas of ‘fun’ that serve him very little purpose, when in all honesty he would probably rather be in the field with his horsey friends eating grass.

Everyday I strive to make my debt to the horse right and be grateful for their cooperation (and understanding of their sometimes lack of cooperation).

And how can we do this?

*Seek knowledge – learn the theory,
*Try to be the best rider you can be – develop yourself and your independent seat,
*Ask reasonable questions of your horse – be clear and patient,
*Reward often, end the exercise, a rub, a soft word, doesn’t always have to be a cookie,
*Step away from the part of our ego that feels frustrated and angry, work on developing emotional control.

Take a step back, ask yourself how can I make this horse’s life better for him.

Some people are happy to keep their horses in a herd, never riding or training while some people have high sporting ambitions. A happy horse is never a ‘wasted’ horse. I have no judgement about the entire horse keeping spectrum as long as the horses’ physical/ emotional needs are met AND we remember that,

The horse owes us nothing, we owe him everything.

PC Beth Barkway Photography

30/05/2021

My newest video, and Liberty Clinic coming soon. Thank you for watching. Please like and subscribe!!!