Your first choice if horse care matters; We are supporting the recommended “Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Horses” from Canadian Agri-Food Research Council.
Management skills and responsibilities:
The purpose of this Code is to promote the welfare of horses. Those involved in the horse industry must make an effort to inform themselves and others in the proper care and handling of horses.
No unguided lease of our horses to ensure their safety and proper handling.
People working with horses must have due regard for their welfare. People involved in the horse industry should be aware of the welfare of horses under their care or the care of others.
It is the responsibility of people working with horses to be knowledgeable of the proper care and handling of horses. Ignorance is not acceptable as an excuse for cruelty and neglect.
Handling:
Horses should be handled quietly, with care and patience, to avoid injury, pain or distress. We don’t pre-saddle our horses for hours.
Handling and restraining devices must be used humanely and regarding the horse’s natural movement, temperament and physical capabilities. Max weight for riders 200 pounds/90 kg.
Health management:
Horses should be inspected frequently to ensure that they are healthy. A parasite control program should be established in consultation with a veterinarian. This will include the administration of anthelmintics (dewormers) and manure and pasture management. Regularly ferrier work, no barefoot riding.
Shelter and horse facilities:
The design and use of shelter facilities should promote the health, well-being and superior performance of horses throughout all stages of their lives. Natural or constructed shelter areas must offer adequate protection from adverse weather conditions.
Feed and water:
Horses should receive a daily diet that is adequate for maintaining health. Horses should be fed on a regular schedule. NO free ranging, feeding Yukon grown hay during wintertime and oats on top on very chilly days. When horses are fed in groups, enough manger space or feeding points should be available to minimize competition for feed.
Every horse must have access to a sufficient supply of potable water to meet its individual maintenance and activity needs. A horse’s daily water requirements range from 20 liters (4.5 gallons) to more than 36 liters (8 gallons). Heated water all winter long available for the horses.
Pastures/yards:
Horses on pasture/range should have access to sufficient quantity and quality of feed and water.
Properly maintained pastures may provide all or most of the nutrient needs of horses. Supplements should be provided, when necessary, to offset shortfalls in pasture quality and quantity. To prevent digestive and health problems, horses should be gradually introduced to pasture, especially in springtime. Horses on pasture should be inspected regularly, paying particular attention during high-risk periods (e.g. seasonal change, foaling, introduction of new animals to the herd). Horses on pasture should have access to well-drained resting area and to a natural or constructed shelter to protect them from adverse weather conditions.
Transportation:
The transportation of horses from point of origin to a final destination should be completed as safely and quickly as possible. Vehicles used to transport horses should provide for the safety of horses and personnel. We don’t need to transport our horses, we start and end riding at the ranch. We don’t bring our horses south in the wintertime just to save money. We keep them home.