News for our Boarders

Goodbye to a dear friend - 4/24/2010
After 15 years, we had to say goodbye to our dearest friend, Pandah. It has been an emotional time for us. She brought such joy and laughter. I feel privileged that she chose me as her mommy when I was just 19 and she was a tiny little teacher wrapped in the body of a Pekingese. She will be remembered with the highest love and gratitude. Rest in peace my friend.

 

 

Moving on up! - 3/2010
We are excited to announce that we have decided to put our beautiful, beloved ranch on the market. Why? While there isn't anything we don't absolutely love about our humble ranch - the location, the privacy, the peaceful quiet surroundings, even our wonderful neighbors. But we want to reach more horses and educate more horse owners about natural horsekeeping. To do that, we need more room to "spread our wings", so to speak. We will, of course, continue doing natural boarding in the east valley, and we will be honored to have our boarders join us on this adventure! Updates will be given as they present themselves. In the meantime, we will continue to care for your beautiful, funny, playful horses with the same passion and love as always.

Tack Shed: Check! - 1/2010

We finally have a place the boarders can call their own! And boy, is hubby happy to have a garage to play in :D It is a 10X12 securely locked shed with a separate keypad for everyone to access when they need it. An air conditioner might be nice in there... hmmm :) Maybe something else to add to our ever-growing list of improvements for our wonderful boarders to enjoy.

Bigger plans on the horizon - 9/17/09
There are a few big improvements we have planned for the ranch that are coming down the pike (hopefully, fingers crossed) in the next year. First, we are planning a beautiful separate boarder tack room and shaded outdoor lounge area where the horses and the peaceful setting can be enjoyed at leisure. We will also be re-doing the pea gravel area for the horses as that breaks down over time. Of course we have more up our sleeves ;) but those are a couple biggies to look forward to.

Movement: healthy for horses... AND for water - 10/05/08
Mosquitoes, bees, and algae are all pretty upset at us right now because we've made the water trough unpleasant for them to grow in and drink from (which of course was the plan).

By using a non-submersible water pump placed out of reach, the watering trough stays clean longer (my back likes that!), and keeps the mosquitoes and bees out. It's also become a bubbling, moving playtoy for the horses. We've caught them playing in the water jet, and standing in or pawing happily at the water. It's good to be a horse!

Newspaper article posted for viewing - 9/16/08
As the article has not yet been posted on the AZ Republic's website, I have done my best to scan a decent copy for you. No making fun of my scanning abilities. Ha! :D Until the article is linkable, you can view a copy of it here.

See us in the Arizona Republic! - 8/06/08
I have always believed that if you remain true to the gifts you've been given, the right people and opportunities will always find you. I was recently honored to be asked by AZ Republic equine reporter Kim Goetz if she could do a story on our ranch and our "unique" method of horsekeeping. What a treat! Thank you Kim for allowing me to share my passion! I will link to the article when it comes out at the end of the month.

It's mister time again - 5/30/08
Any time the temperature rises above 100-105 degrees, the horses will be enjoying the cooling high-pressure water misting system (and so will the humans)! In the heat of the day, the horses can be found loafing in the shade under the misters, waiting patiently for the heat to dissipate. To further encourage shade-time in the blistering heat, during the hottest 4-6 hours of the day, hay will be removed. This is the only time we ask the horses to limit their movement. Further, as digesting hay increases body temperature by a degree or two, hay removal allows the body to cool more efficiently.

Our Gravel Project - 4/13/08
The pea gravel project is finally complete! We are exited to add this new hoof-conditioning surface to the horse's environment. The horses were just as thrilled about having the pea gravel dumped off into a huge 20 ton pile as we were. They set about right away at playing "King of the Pea Gravel Mountain", romping up, over, and through the pile almost as soon as it hit the ground. It's always wonderful to watch such vivacious, curious horses interact with their environment with such joy and ease!

Mijo and Freedom, both ready to take a flying leap over the pile... just for FUN!  

 

Pea gravel is a fantastic hoof conditioner; when a horse steps on it, his body weight displaces the gravel just enough that the full support given causes the hoof to create deeper concavity over time. You can think of concavity much like the arch of a human foot. Just like people who have flat feet, horses with flat feet experience more jarring in their joints and bones. Now that the project is complete, the whole of the shade area plus ten feet out, is covered deeply with pea gravel. As pea gravel likes to shift (which is the quality that makes it so fabulous for hooves), a box is necessary to keep it the gravel where we want it. And the horses even enjoy lying down for a nap on the pea gravel!

 Here we were at the (almost) halfway point. Thank you to Amy for helping to spread this gravel!

 

02/20/08
It's hard to believe that fly season is just around the corner here in Arizona, where the flies come out in March. But we actually look forward to fly season at the Copper Caballo because our "secret weapons" keep us almost completely fly-free (and chemical free)! Our first 2008 shipment of Fly Predators has arrived, as have our Spring/Summer Herbal Blends recommendations...remove toxins from the body.

"Pest-Free Blend" -  This custom blend consists of high potency Garlic granules and Apple Cider Vinegar in a multi-vitamin base. This synergistic mix acts as a deterrent to mosquitoes (carriers of the West Nile Virus), and biting flies (yes, we do have a few, and they're quite large).

As you remember from the last couple summers, horses on this mix went from needing mosquito spray a couple times a night, to only needing it a couple times for the whole season. And for less than the cost of spray! And as an added bonus, Garlic and ACV are both powerful immune boosters. ACV also helps to improve digestion and remove toxins from the body.

01/15/08
As we are ever-improving our facility for the safety and health of your beloved horses, we would like to share our latest enhancement. We have installed 24 hour recorded video surveillance cameras so that no approach is left unnoticed.