Hicks Equine Services

02/26/2025

Got to love on some sweet girls yesterday… 🩷

02/25/2025

02/24/2025

This is the PERFECT time of the year to make a plan for your horses fitness and get them in the best shape possible for all these spring and summer runs coming up!

💚🖤🐎

02/15/2025

❄️ Did you know cold air can be just as 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐲? When temperatures drop, respiratory stress increases, impacting oxygen intake and overall performance.

🌡️ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 → Can irritate airways, causing inflammation.
💨 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 → Can trigger bronchial constriction.
🫁 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 → Traps dust and ammonia, increasing the risk of respiratory infections.

𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬!

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💋

02/11/2025

Happy Snow Day! ❄️

02/08/2025

Did you know that your horse’s lungs are essential for more than just breathing? 🌬️ They perform three critical functions that directly impact your horse’s performance and health:

1️⃣ Oxygen Exchange: During exercise, the lungs work harder to deliver oxygen to the muscles and expel carbon dioxide, fueling energy production.
2️⃣ Thermoregulation: By managing heat through breathing and sweat evaporation, the respiratory system helps prevent overheating during intense activity.
3️⃣ pH Balance: The lungs regulate the blood’s acidity by expelling carbon dioxide, maintaining a stable internal environment, especially under stress.
That's why any health issue affecting the lungs, even if it's small will affect performance.

Understanding these roles allows you to tailor conditioning programs that are safe and effective. Healthy lungs = better performance! 💪 Get your athlete a LARC to see how those lungs are doing.

02/06/2025

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐎𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐞-𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓?

Re-testing with isn’t just about checking progress. It’s about staying ahead of potential health and performance issues before they escalate. But how often should you re-test? That depends on a few key factors:

✅ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: If your horse is in a high-intensity conditioning program or actively competing, re-testing every 𝟐-𝟒 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 helps ensure their heart, lungs, and muscles are adapting correctly and not being overworked.

🚨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬: If a previous test flagged a concern, follow-up testing within 𝟏-𝟐 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 after adjustments in training or treatment. It can help confirm improvements or indicate the need for further veterinary attention.

🏇 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: After changing your horse’s routine, whether increasing workload, introducing new drills, or returning from rest, a test within 𝟑-𝟒 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 can show if they are building endurance and speed safely.

🩺 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Horses returning from an injury or illness should be re-tested 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝. This will help you feel confident that they have fully recovered and reduce re-injury risk.

❓ 𝐍𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬? 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠! Even if your horse performs well, regular testing every 𝟒-𝟖 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 helps ensure they stay that way. Many underlying issues can develop unnoticed until they start affecting performance.

LARC TEST eliminates the guesswork, so you can train with confidence. Ready to book your next test? Let me know!

02/04/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡

When it comes to horse performance and well-being, early detection is key. Yet, most issues are only noticed when symptoms appear—often when it’s already too late to prevent injury or a decline in performance. ⚠️

🔬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩

LARC TEST provides 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬, offering 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 into your horse’s heart, lung, and muscle recovery after exercise. This means your vet knows what to look for to make a formal diagnosis and detect potential issues before they escalate, allowing for proactive treatment rather than reactive intervention.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭

➡️ Most performance-related health issues start subtly, affecting your horse 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬.
➡️ Traditional methods rely on 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬, missing underlying physiological imbalances that could impact long-term health.
➡️ By tracking post-exercise recovery, 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, ensuring your horse stays in top condition.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭! Using LARC TEST as part of your horse’s health routine gives you and your vet the tools to intervene early, optimize performance, and promote long-term soundness.

🩺𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧!

02/01/2025

Question of the Week:

When you ride your horse each day, how long do you ride for on average? And how many days during the week typically?

What do you do each day? Are you doing the same thing each day? Warm up? Cool down? Etc.

Would you be interested in a tailored conditioning plan for your horses to prepare them for the competition run?

For the people who have LARC TESTED, what did you do before that Conditioning program was given to you?

01/31/2025

Every run is more than just a race – it's a 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝, 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫. Together, you face challenges, celebrate victories, and grow stronger with every stride.

Hold onto that dream and remember: 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞; 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 🌟

01/28/2025

Ever wondered if a massage will help your horse?

Here's something to sink your teeth in... Equine massage therapy is a bodywork modality that involves the systematic manual manipulation of a horse’s muscles and soft tissues to alleviate muscle tension and promote overall well-being. It’s an increasingly popular component of holistic veterinary care and equine management.

Horse owners may seek out massage therapy to enhance their horse’s performance and mobility, or as a preventative measure to protect against injuries. It is also used to promote a calm demeanor in anxious horses and to address age-related stiffness and discomfort in senior horses. It's a must for many owners/jockeys pre/post competition.

Veterinarians may also recommend massage therapy in conjunction with other treatments for various health conditions, such as chronic pain, musculoskeletal disorders, gait abnormalities, or rehabilitation after surgery or injury. In short, it's good for their overall health & can really make a difference!

01/26/2025

Admittedly, I don’t like the number 6. Or any “even” numbers for that matter. Thus, Lucky 🍀 #7 & a favorite team of mine is Jess & Wellie 🖤. I can’t wait to be be back in the holding pen (like I was here) videoing, cheering & back at the stall to work on the bestest boy!

01/24/2025

So… I can’t leave out these beautiful blondes.

Terri Foster and her beautiful Palomino, Poker Chip, have been everything that encompasses hard work and partnership. The growth that she had this past year with her main man… was electric ⚡️. I was so blessed to be a part of it and I’m even more excited for what we can accomplish in 2025! I appreciate them so much. Welcome to the team

01/21/2025

🚨 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓

Your horse’s lungs play a crucial role in their performance, but 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫? This is where the LARC TEST Bleeding Early-Stage Alert becomes a game-changer.

🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭?

Horses can experience 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. If left undetected, this can lead to more severe conditions like Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (𝐄𝐈𝐏𝐇)—impacting your horse’s endurance, speed, and overall health.

🩺𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩?

By identifying early-stage bleeding, LARC TEST provides objective data to help you adjust your horse’s workload before the issue escalates. Instead of waiting for visible signs, you can:

✔️ Modify your training intensity to reduce lung strain.
✔️ Give your horse the right recovery time before their next intense session.
✔️ Work with your vet proactively to support lung health.

🏆 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲!

With the right balance of effort and recovery, your horse can stay stronger, healthier, and competition-ready without the risks of unmanaged lung stress.

📌 Have you ever wondered if your horse’s conditioning program is pushing them too hard? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.

💬 Let’s talk! Comment below: What’s your biggest challenge in managing your horse’s conditioning intensity? 👇

01/16/2025

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17

📣SO excited to officially announce the “Dream Team” Members for 2025!!📣

👯‍♀️Adrienne Davis
🌺Emmi Little
⚡️KK Stinnett
💪Molly Webb
🔥Taylor Shores

These ladies R.O.C.K. all year long! Each of them model what any equine sport enthusiast should be. I am so honored to have them on the Hicks Equine Services Team & ready to get my hands dirty working on some ponies!! 🥳🐴 Can't wait to see what is in store for us all! 🙌🏽🤩

👉🏼PSA: Don't forget that we offer discounts on multiple sessions/horses & for loyalty. ANDDD... If you haven’t liked/followed my business page, please do! I’ll be sharing tips, my schedule, highlighting products & showcasing folks who are crushing it!

01/13/2025

BEMER Horse-set offers more than just better circulation. With BEMER Horse-set by your side, you can be reassured that your horse is getting the best care. 🐴💙

01/11/2025

Care for your horse, simplified. 🐴✨ The BEMER Horse-Set is easy to use, effortlessly effective, and designed to keep your horse feeling their best. Simple setup, powerful results. 💪🌟