Horse News You Can Use - September 2011

It is getting a bit cooler and things are getting more active around Sierra Ranch. We hope to be sending out the newsletter on a more regular basis. Below are some topics that have wieghed on our minds recently and thought you might enjoy reading about.

Wildfires: When Evacuation is Not an Option
Thanks to record summer temperatures and persistent drought, several wildfires have flared in Texas this year, according to information contained on the Texas Forest Service website. Since Sept. 1 the Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires. Read More

Senior Horse Care – Keeping Your Senior Horse Healthy and Happy
Senior horse care is a subject near and dear to my heart. My own senior horses, Annapolis and Star, are now 32 and 20 years old respectively–and still going strong.
Read more »

Study: Horses Prefer Nonacidic Water

A team of Canadian researchers recently revealed that horses tend to prefer water with neutral pH levels rather than low pH levels, meaning your picky drinker's problem could be due to acidic water's sour taste. Read More

Don’t forget to come see us out at the ranch. We are open Monday thru Thursday and some weekends. Call us to set up a time to meet your next trail horse.

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
http://sierraranchok.com/
http://sierraranchok.net/

Horse News You Can Use - May 2011

We are still working on getting things going at the Sierra Ranch. Have had a few trial rides go out and expect more whe school gets out. Call us and set a time to come pick out a great horse to ride.

Here is cool news from the horse world:

DO HORSES RECOGNIZE THEIR PEOPLE?

Does a horse respond differently to "his person" as opposed to a stranger? The results of a recent French study indicate that horses use auditory and visual information to recognize specific people, and that they expect certain behaviors from those people based on previous experience. Continue reading...

BLM OFFERS TOUR OF OKLA. LONG-TERM HOLDING FACILITIES

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting an all-day public tour of two wild horse long-term holding pastures in Hominy, Okla., about an hour from Tulsa. The tour, which will take place on June 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., will give the public an opportunity to observe wild horses roaming in a natural setting across thousands of acres. Continue reading...

THOROUGHBRED 'PERFORMANCE GENES' FURTHER EXAMINED IN STUDY

The genetics behind the athletic performance of Thoroughbred racehorses has been a popular area of research in the past few years. A large-scale study was carried out recently in Japan, the results of which corroborate those of previous studies: Identifying specific "performance genes" on equine chromosome 18 could identify the ideal distance for a Thoroughbred to race. Some industry veterinarians, however, suggest that this information should still be evaluated and used with caution. Continue reading...

Hope you enjoy the news. We will be posting pictures of the horses available for lease in the next day or so. Don’t forget to come see us out at the ranch. We are open Monday thru Thursday and some weekends. Call us to set up a time to meet your next trail horse.

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
http://sierraranchok.com/
http://sierraranchok.net/

Horse News You Can Use - April 2011

We are getting Sierra Ranch, LLC back and going so you will be seeing more postings here and the newsletter should be going out more regularly. :) Here is some news that we are getting ready for at the ranch. Tomorow the vet is coming for coggins and shots. Should be a fun day. So glad I will be missing it this year. ;) VACCINATION BASICS FOR HORSES Vaccination used to be simple. You bought a couple of vaccines at the feed store and gave them once a year to your horse. Today there are so many vaccination options that if you still administer vaccines yourself without at least talking to your veterinarian, you might be selling yourself, and your horse, short. Continue reading... BATTLING BOREDOM: STUDY PROVES FOOD-RELATED ITEMS MOST SUCCESSFUL The old saying goes, "Idle hands are the devil's tools," but horse owners know an idle horse's lips can cause just as much mischief. For many owners it can be a daily challenge to keep curious horses occupied when not being ridden or handled. In her recent study, Grete Helen Meisfjord Jørgensen, PhD, of the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, observed horses' reactions to several types of "enrichment items" and determined that food-related items helped battle boredom best. Continue reading... Don’t forget to come see us out at the ranch. We are open Monday thru Thursday and some weekends. Call us to set up a time to meet your next trail horse. Deb Stowers Sierra Ranch, LLC http://sierraranchok.com/ http://sierraranchok.net/