Post-ride Trailering Trips for a Smooth Trip Home

Some horses have natural anxieties about the trailer that come from a previous owner, experience or just a quirk in their personality. Keeping trailering safe and calm for both you and your horse is important to being autonomous with your horse. Often times it's easy to know what to do pre-trailer ride but the ride home can often be overlooked. Thanks to an article from horseandrider.com, there are a few more things to think about before throwing your horse back on the trailer and heading out.

"You’re headed back from your trail ride. You reach the trailer, unsaddle, brush off your horse, get him loaded, and head down the road. Twenty minutes! It’s a new record time. This is exactly the behavior that gets riders in trouble. After a long day of riding, and especially after multi day trips, it’s tempting to hurry up and get on your way. When you do this, you create chaos. You hurriedly go through the motions and leave yourself open to forget important things, such as a saddle left on the ground. You overlook the once-over that ensures that your horse is injury-free and your equipment is in good repair.

'Over time, your rushed process causes your horse to become anxious at the trailer, which makes your ride back more difficult and puts a sour tone on an otherwise-pleasant experience (Horse & Rider)."

Here are a few tips from the author to ensure a safe and smooth trip all the way around!

• After your ride, use your checklist to ensure that everything you’ve brought is accounted for and put away. If you break tack or lose a hoof boot, make note of it so you can replace it.
• As you head back to your trailer, mentally prepare yourself so you don’t become overly anxious and affect your horse’s emotional state. If you get anxious your horse will, too. 
• Before you load your horse, he should be relaxed and comfortable. If you rush him, he’ll feel as you do when you’re rushed in and out of an appointment—emotionally run-over. Instead, tie him to the trailer and loosen the girth, but don’t get in a hurry to jerk the saddle off. Let him relax as you prep your tack room.
• Organize your tack room so that when you take off your horse’s gear you don’t have to struggle to put it away. Hang up your bridle, pull out grooming supplies and water buckets, and make sure everything’s clean and ready to use again.
• After your horse has cooled off, but before you load up, make water available. 
• Complete a thorough check of your horse by rubbing your hands over his body after your ride to look for injuries.
• After your ride, inspect your trailer and the load-up position. Not all trailers have good internal lights so bring a flashlight or head lamp if there’s a chance you’ll load up after dark.

At Southwind we love our trail riders and adventurers!! With close access to several county parks and areas to ride in, there's always a spot to load up and go exploring! Learn more about our farm and boarding opportunities at: www.southwindfarminc.com! 

Amazing Horse Facts Part 2!

Hello all! We are continuing our Random & Amazing horse facts today in order to mix things up a bit and to expand your equestrian knowledge. (Because, why not??) Some of these you might know and some might surprise you!

Also don't forget that we love and welcome horses of all breeds, ages and disciplines at Southwind! Learn more about our stall boarding available at:  www.southwindfarminc.com!

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

21. An adult horse’s brain weights 22 oz, about half that of a human. (Source: The Equinest)

22. Horses still hold a place of honor in many cultures, often linked to heroic exploits in war, China being one of those countries. (Source: National Geographic)

23. Horses can not vomit. (Source: The Equinest)

24. There is only one species of domestic horse, but around 400 different breeds that specialize in everything from pulling wagons to racing. All horses are grazers. (Source: National Geographic)

25. A horse can see better at night than a human. However, it takes a horse's eyes longer to adjust from light to dark and from dark to light than a human's. (Source: Cowboy Way)

26. The first cloned horse was a Haflinger mare in Italy in 2003. (Source: The Equinest)

27. Horses like sweet flavors and will usually reject anything sour or bitter. (Source: The Equinest)

28. Wild horses generally gather in groups of 3 to 20 animals. A stallion (mature male) leads the group, which consists of mares (females) and young foals. When young males become colts, at around two years of age, the stallion drives them away. The colts then roam with other young males until they can gather their own band of females. (Source: National Geographic)

29. Most of the time, wherever a horse's ear is pointing is where the horse is looking with the eye on the same side. If the ears are pointing in different directions, the horse is looking at two different things at the same time. (Source: Training Horses Naturally)


30. Horses produce approximately 10 gallons of saliva a day. (Source: EquiNews)

31. On the underside of a horse's hoof is a triangular shaped area called the “frog," which acts as a shock absorber for a horse's leg, and also helps to pump blood back up the leg. (Source: PawNation)

32. Horses height is measured in units known as "hands." One hand is equal to four inches. The tallest horse on record was a Shire named Sampson. He was 21.2 hands (7 feet, 2 inches) tall. He was born in 1846 in Toddington Mills, England. (Source: Cowboy Way)

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

33. The average horse's heart weighs approximately 9 or 10 pounds. (Source: Steinbeck Equine)

34. The record for the longest jump over water is held by a horse named Something who jumped 27 feet, 6 and 3/4 inches on April 25, 1975 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was ridden by Andre Ferreira. (Source: Equine Life Solutions)

35. The record for the highest jump made by a horse is held by a horse named Huaso who jumped 8 feet, 1 and 1/4 inches on February 5th, 1949 in Vina del Mar, Chile. He was ridden by Captain Alberto Larraguibel. (Source: YouTube)

36. Scientists believe that the first known ancestor of the horse lived about 50 million years ago. This prehistoric horse is called Eohippus and had four padded toes on the front legs and three padded toes on the back legs. (Source: Chronozoom)

37. Horses with typical anatomy are "obligate nasal breathers" which means they must breathe through their nostrils and cannot breathe through their mouths. (Source: The Horse)

38. Horses drink at least 25 gallons of water a day (more in hotter climates). (Source: Healthy Pets)

39. It takes 9-12 months to re-grow an entire horse hoof. (Source: The Equinest)

40. Horses with pink skin can get a sunburn. (Source: The Equine.com)

41. A zebroid is a cross between a zebra and any other member of the family Equidae (which, besides zebras, includes donkeys, ponies, and horses). … A "zonky" is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. … A "zony" is a cross between a zebra and a pony. … A "zorse" is a cross between a zebra and a horse. (Source: Cowboy Way)

42. You can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind their ears. If that area is cold, so is the horse. (Source: The Chronicle of the Horse)

43. Horses have 16 muscles in each ear, allowing them to rotate their ears 180 degrees. (Source: University of Minnesota)

44. If a horse has a red ribbon on it’s tail, it kicks. (Source: Equine Tips)

45. Horses are social animals and will get lonely if kept alone, and they will mourn the passing of a companion. (Source:  The Equinest)

Tah dah! There you have it! totally amazing (some bizarre) horse facts to store for that next trivia game you play!

Random & Amazing Horse Facts: Part 1

Good morning all! Today we want to mix things up a bit with some totally random, yet amazing, horse facts to expand your equestrian knowledge. (Because, why not??) Some of these you might know and some might surprise you! Today we start part 1 so take a look below and enjoy :)

And don't forget that we welcome horses of all breeds, ages and disciplines at Southwind! Learn more about our stall boarding available at:  www.southwindfarminc.com!

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

1. Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal. (Source: HorseswithAmie)

2. Horses can run within hours after birth. (Source: ScienceKids)

3. When horses look like they’re laughing, they’re actually engaging in a special nose-enhancing technique known as “flehmen,” to determine whether a smell is good or bad. (Source: Wikipedia)

4. At one time people thought horses were colorblind. They’re not, though they are better at seeing yellows and greens than purples and violets. (Source: The Horse)

5. A horse's teeth take up a larger amount of space in their head than their brain. (Source: LiveScience)

6. You can generally tell the difference between male and female horses by their number of teeth: males have 40 while females have 36 (but honestly, most us are going to use the much “easier” way).

7. Horse hooves are made from the same protein that comprises human hair and fingernails. (Source:  Ker.com)

8. The horse trailer (“horse box”) was invented by Lord George Bentinck, a U.K. man who needed a more effective transport for getting his six horses from one racetrack to another.

9. In 1872, Leland Stanford (1824-1893) made a bet that at some point in the gallop all four of a horse’s legs are off the ground at the same time. Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) proved him right by using a series of 24 cameras and photographing a racehorse named Sallie Gardner. (Source:  HorseswithAmie)

10. Horses are more secure and comfortable when trailering if they can face the rear, but they prefer openings. (Source:  Animal People News)

11. Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up. (Source: ScienceKids)

12. A 19th century horse named ‘Old Billy’ reportedly lived 62 years. (Source: Manchester Museum)

13. From 1867 to 1920, the number of horses shot up from 7.8 million to 25 million. Experts believe this was due to the rise of the automobile. (Source: HorseswithAmie)

14. Because horse’s eyes are on the side of their head they are capable of seeing nearly 360 degrees at one time. (Source: ScienceKids)

15. The fastest recorded sprinting speed of a horse was 88 kph (55 mph). Most gallop at around 44 kph or 27 mph. (Source: Purely Facts)

16. The Przewalski’s horse is the only truly wild horse species still in existence. The only wild population is in Mongolia. There are however numerous populations across the world of feral horses e.g. mustangs in North America. (Source: Onekind)

17. Horses use their ears, eyes and nostrils to express their mood. They also communicate their feelings through facial expressions. (Source: CBS News)

18. Horses will not lie down simultaneously because at least one will act as a look-out to alert its companions of potential dangers. (Source: EquiSearch)

19. Vocalizations are highly important to horses. Examples: Whinnying and neighing sounds are elicited when horses meet or leave each other. Stallions (adult male horses) perform loud roars as mating calls, and all horses will use snorts to alert others of potential danger. (Source: Onekind)

20. Approximately 4.6 million Americans work in the horse industry in one way or another. The US horse industry has an economic effect of $39 billion annually on just nine million American horses. There are approximately 58 million horses in the world and the vast majority are cared for by humans. (Source: American Horse Council)

How many of those did you already know and what was new? Happy Riding everyone!

Enjoy Fall at Southwind Farm!

Fall is right around the corner and cooler temps and autumn leaves are only a matter of days away! Today we want to send out a quick and friendly reminder that we have a few spots left for boarders this fall at Southwind Farm. Come enjoy one of the best seasons for riding at Southwind knowing your horse is getting top care!

For more information, contact Sheri at: sherithornley@msn.com or visit: http://southwindfarminc.com

CONGRATULATIONS SHERI !!!!

Taking a moment this morning to congratulate Southwind's owner, Sheri Thornley, on a fantastic placing at the American Eventing Championships!! Sheri and her horse Toga finished 8th overall in Training Amateur Championship 2019, was Reserve Champion T.I.P. (Thoroughbred Incentive Placement for highest OTTBs) and her Training team for USEA Area II finished as Reserve Champion teams. Way to go Sheri! Southwind is proud of you!