SDK Barrel Horses

04/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17vB1JegKT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

If you haven't already figured it out please allow me to share with you the secret potion for horse owners.

This stuff perfect for any skin condition like scratches or rain scald. Spray on full strength, rub into the fur and lesions and in three days it's all cleared up.

It is also good as a hoof cleanser to clear up or prevent thrush and other nasty stuff.

It is perfect to clean buckets, troughs and feed pans. During the summer a capful or two in your water trough will help keep the algae at bay.

Add some to your fly spray to increase potency.

Mix some with a little baby oil for a coat gloss at shows.

Spray on full strength as a liniment/bracer after exercise.

Handy hand sanitizer.

It doesn't freeze until it is so cold that you really don't care if you need it or not.

It's not great for wound care because of the alcohol but in a pinch it's better than nothing.

Finally, if the hot old feed guy shows up you can freshen up your breath!😂🥰

04/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DzyCfaFtn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

11/20/2025

04/22/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12J7cuW7mKY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

As many of you have already seen, a post from a veterinarian regarding intravenous (IV) injections has become quite viral throughout social media. As a veterinarian, I love the attention that this post has received as this makes a very important point for horse owners. I’m a strong believer in that every horse owner should learn how to comfortably give an IV injection as this is vital skill to have in a moment of need. And as every horse owner knows, the need seems to always arise at the worst timing. Preparedness is key in these moments so please ask to your vet to teach you how to give IV injections now!

However, with the good that has come of this post, there unfortunately has been some bad to arise and I would like to elucidate on these matters. The veterinarian that made the original post has received backlash by the internet trolls in the comments, some going as far as calling for this vet’s license because of this “bad stick.” This type of accidental stick is a VERY common occurrence, especially for anybody who gives IV injections frequently. Have you ever heard a story about a horse being “allergic” to IV bute, banamine or sedation because they fell down or flipped over backwards after injection? This type of reaction isn’t an allergy, this is actually an inadvertent stick into the carotid artery. I myself have inadvertently entered the carotid artery on multiple occasions. These things happen. It’s called an inherent risk. On most horses, this is obvious due to the color of the blood in your syringe. When this happens, you simply pull the needle out, then re-stick. However this is not always the case. During the course of my career thus far (and I was giving IV injections long before I became a vet), I have gotten into the carotid artery and injected on 2 separate occasions. Both of these instances, the blood was thick and very dark in color and I was none the wiser until the horse had a reaction. Both of these horses were severe colic cases who had presented on emergency, one a 2 yr old, the other 36 yrs old. Now pause, go back and re-read the original post, then re-read the blood characteristics of my “bad sticks.” Blood color is the most common way to distinguish between an intravenous (IV) and intraarterial (IA) injections however it is far from fool proof. There are other ways of determining whether you are in the carotid artery however all of those are not fool proof either so I highly recommend learning how to give IV injections and becoming comfortable with the technique early. The incidence of hitting the carotid artery greatly increases in emergency situations so again, preparedness is key. Talk to your veterinarian now.

Typically, a horse that receives an IA injection will not typically suffer long term effects as long as they don’t get injured in the immediate seizure but always call your vet if this does happen.

03/22/2025

For everyone wanting an explanation Repost : Horse Behaviorist UT

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 (𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞) 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

“This knowledge is a game changer in the horse training business and for those in all the competition sports, and a valuable guide for horse owners looking to find the perfect horse for their lifestyle and riding pleasure. Geneticists in three countries have provided the first scientific evidence of the inheritance of hair whorls, links to behavior, and specific genes linked to certain hair whorl patterns. There's no scientific evidence more definitive than genetic evidence. Dr. Temple Grandin and I at Colorado State University waited 28 eight years since we published the first scientific evidence of the link from hair whorls to behavior for the genetic evidence we always knew would come. We never claimed to discover the relationship between hair whorls and behavior; people worldwide for thousands of years have casually observed the relationship. What we did that was new was show the link to lateralization of the nervous system and the hair whorls association with functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. I studied and documented the relationship for ten years before meeting Temple Grandin, working as a farrier and horse trainer. I learned the practical application of this knowledge in real-world situations before seeking and finding the academic support needed to make this useful information available to everyone.

This post aims to clarify and unify common terminology and principles of hair whorl height and position, either left, right, or center. For future posting on this page, this information is essential for you. The most important language to clarify relates to the side preference exhibited by horses and its relation to horse welfare concerns. The terminology in the horse industry, as is in the scientific language, is broad and varies between people in the US and other countries. The formal scientific term for this phenomenon is lateralization of the nervous system. Some scientists use a less formal term, 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚. 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 is the general term used to describe the phenomenon across species that includes human handedness, paw preference in dogs, footedness in birds, and side preference in cattle, horses, and other herbivores. In my writing, I interchange the terms laterality, handedness, and side preference depending on sentence context, but they all mean the same thing.

I drew this graph on this horse because this horse represents a large proportion of horses and the hair whorl type that suffers from the most severe welfare concerns. It has a single whorl, is left of center, and is very.

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

"Very Low" defines a non-reactive horse with low fear. "Low" whorls represent a horse as slightly more reactive than the "very low." "Very Lows" and "Lows" show minimal side preferences, and the hair whorls are usually in the center of the midline. The V-lines on the graph represent how, as the whorl gets higher, the side preference increases.

𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇

Most horses are in the Middle and High Range. The reactivity and fearfulness are in the mid-range, with some variation. Reactivity is higher in the top portion of the High range and lower reactivity in the lower middle range. The V-shape on the graph represents side preferences. The higher the whorl on the forehead, the stronger their side preference.

𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇

A smaller portion of horses are in the "High" and "Very" High range. Both high and very high define highly reactive and fearful horses. Side preference is highest in these two ranges, and the distance left or right from the midline also increases the side preference strength. This horse represents very high nervous system reactivity and laterality but not extreme laterality (side preference). A hair whorl closer to V-line would be an example of extreme laterality.

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐋 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

The epicenter defines the position of the whorl. This horse has a very high whorl slightly off to the horse's left side. This horse is highly reactive. The side preference is strong but not the strongest., and its natural fearfulness is very strong.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘

Approximately 70% of horses have a left side whorl in the medium to high ranges. 10% to 15% have hair whorls on the right side. Approximately 10% have two side-by-side whorls, always in mid-to-high ranges, never low. The double side-by-side whorls we considered normal in our research.The doubles, either side by side or one above the other, are harder to define and require a separate post to clarify.

The remaining 5% have multiple or two whorls, one above the other. In our research, we considered these types of whorls abnormal.

The horse in this picture will favor the right lead and travel better in a circle to the right or clockwise. The left whorl and right turning preferences are similar to most right-handed people. The right side whorl is opposite, like left-handed people. The horse with a high right side whorl favors the left lead.

This horse's left eye is the "look out for danger" eye in horse's with a left side whorl, and prefers the right lead. The side of the whorl is the side the horse will give a farrier the hardest time. The opposite holds for the horse with a right side whorl.This horse's right eye is the "look out for danger" eye in horse's with a right side whorl, and this horse prefers the left lead.

The high reactivity(fearfulness) and the laterality (side preference) of the horse in the photograph and a horse with the opposite on the right side are the types of horses I encountered most while working as a farrier and horse trainer. The horses with the high right and left hair whorls show the most potential as high-performance horses, but they also represent the horses with the most severe welfare concerns. Unfortunately, when they have behavior problems, they are the most dangerous and unpredictable. It all depends on how they are raised and handled.”

03/05/2024

Read this!!!

It matters how they feel.

They are not sports equipment. If you want something to ride whenever you feel like it, get a motorcycle. Don't use their mouths as a seatbelt -- that was a great quote I heard this week. They are sentient, they have feelings, their bodies hurt sometimes, or all the time depending on the horse. They do not act up just to be a$$holes -- they are trying to tell you something. If you don't listen, that's on you.

If you say they have an attitude, likely the problem is you. They are trying to survive and feel safe just like you are. They cannot tell you it hurts or it scares them or they are uncomfortable or confused or overwhelmed with words, so they use their bodies. So many people anthropomorphize them, but if you really listen they will tell you everything you need to know.

So many people tell me, my horse likes this, my horse wants that, but what the person is really telling me is what the human wants. The horse often tells a completely different story. it is shocking to me how many people have absolutely no capacity to listen, yet they tell me all about what they think the horse wants. A horse wants to feel safe and fed, a horse wants space and friends. They want to be free from pain, both physical and emotional. They need to move and feel the sun on their backs. They don't ask for a lot, most of us give them the wrong things because that's what we think we would want.

It does not require us to be perfect. We are not always in control of our emotions. We make poor choices at times because we feel like we have to in the moment. We can have our perspective skewed by pain or fear or being over threshold or over tired. We have these things in common with the horse. It helps nobody to beat ourselves up for being human, least of all the horse. It does help the horse if we recognize these things in ourselves so we can access greater empathy for ourselves and the horse.

Learning to love a horse means learning to listen and feel, to have sensitivity, to be trustworthy. Love is, among other things, seeing the other for what they are, not what we are.