HOMEWORK! Here is your reading assignment . Please take the time to read, understand, and implement as much as you can! It is important for you and your animals to be safe and that you also are operating in a manner that is safe when you visit other farms.
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Please note that I am working on co-sponsoring a biosecurity panel discussion event with the St. Lawrence County Cooperative Extension Office in March. I approached them about the topic and it was well received. We plan to bring in experts in the field to share their advise, knowledge, and more. Stay tuned!

​USDA Biosecurity Tips for Horse Owners

Equine Biosecurity and Biocontainment Practices on U.S. Equine Operations

​Equine Biosecurity by Dr. Jessie Evans

Biosecurity for Trail Horses

Biosecurity on the Trail

Biosecurity for the traveling show horse

Biosecurity Risk Calculator

Blast from the past! This is Whiskey, Fosse, and Mini Me in the Jefferson National Forest at White Cedar Horse Camp on Flat Top Mountain in Bland, Virginia, 2007. Rick and I volunteered to be the host site and cared for the place while enjoying our horses and dogs, typically 4-day events. This was a wonderful, rustic place. Peaceful and private for everyone and safe for the animals. We have wonderful memories from our camping adventures and miss it greatly.

What day is it? If you follow us, you know that it is Horse Church Sunday, the one day reserved for horses no matter what. It is important to set time aside, especially for those of us who have to balance a career and a horse farm. If we didn't, it would be easy to let the time pass and to be involved in the other million things going on here.


So, today, Rick is prepping the arena for horse playtime later, the horses are eating and snoozing, and the dogs and I are watching Parelli videos and reading articles. This sets us up for other fun time during the week too.

This week, I challenge you to make a plan and stick to it, even if it means one day, or one hour. Do what you can and make it purposeful, fun horse time.

If you are interested in improving your horsemanship over the winter and don't want to haul your horse, why not attend one of our horseless workshops?  Our events are limited to 8 attendees to keep the setting intimate, help students learn, and allow for discussion.
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  CURRENT HORSELESS WINTER WORKSHOP SCHEDULE: (Feel free to request something not on the list.)

Horsemanship Knots to Know - 2 hour Horseless Workshop, January 31, 2016 

Understanding Horse & Human Psychology - 3 hour Horseless Workshop, March 5, 2016

Fear Makeover, Putting the Fun Back in Your Horsemanship - 4 hour Horseless Workshop, March 12, 2016

REGISTER TODAY!

Good Morning and Happy New Year! I hope that your holiday festivities were as wonderful as you'd hoped.  Our happy, healthy chickens are still producing a limited amount of yummy, farm fresh, free range eggs here on the farm.  I think that this is the first year where we didn't have to stop delivery for a few months. We resume Potsdam, NY delivery on Monday, January 4th.  Pick-up is always available at the farm here in North Lawrence, NY, just give me a heads up that you are coming to make sure someone is here!  The animals always love visitors and it surely is nice to see where your food is coming from.

 I am pleased to announce that there will not be a price increase this year.  Eggs will remain at $2.25/half dozen, $4.50/dozen, $6.75/dozen and a half, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We have a three-step inspection process, each egg is hand washed and dried, without using any chemicals. Our eggs are collected Mon-Sun,  inspected,washed, packed, and labeled Sunday night, delivered Monday. (Unless you stop out at the farm, then I take care of it all on demand.)

We are in need of egg cartons. To keep costs down and to be environmentally sustainable, we reuse cartons rather than purchasing new ones. Please drop them off when you come for your eggs.

Please place your orders and again, thank you for your patronage.  

The photo above is from December 2012, winter storm Euclid. That day we woke up to a few feet of snow. I had to work my way to the barn in snowshoes. This is what I found. My
Three horses standing out in it when they had complete free access to their living quarters, at the time, half of our Quonset Hut.

We moved to a harsher climate (from Southwest Virginia to
Northern New York), we stopped blanketing, and our horses are healthier for it. It is important to understand that they have always had access to quality hay, 24/7, and have appropriate living quarters, primarily living outside. Our stalls are used only for severe weather events and are also in place for injuries. Not for my place to be a Beyer Horse-style horsey doll house.

Natural living means happier and healthier horses and requires the human to stop being anthropomorphic. Someday I will talk more about other methods we employ for natural living but for today, it's blankets. Ditch them, feed your horse correctly, give them a nice place to live, you've got the picture.

This article is a really good read. Take time to indulge in some learning. "No more blankets - an amazing article" from Soul of the Horse.

http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/no-more-blankets-an-amazing-article/

Below are a few pictures from last winter. Happy, healthy horses.