Horse Sense Education and Advocacy

10/12/2025

In the spirit of the dentals coming up...

When an injury happens.. the body responds… in this case muscle tension created to the muscles of mastication and mostly likely to the neck as well in this very young horse!

Due to the muscle tension, the mandible, neck and head are unable to move correctly and this is what happens to the teeth! The are effected and it’s start of a teeth wearing incorrectly…

It is totally treatable with restoring the proper mechanics of chewing! So the mandible, neck a,d head move correctly in mastication!

It’s SOOO WILD how the teeth adopted to the muscle tension so early in this young horses life!

10/12/2025

Help Horses and landowners in Santa Clara County- lest it spread to Santa Cruz County- Let's stop this in it tracks.

Did you know? Santa Clara County is proposing changes to the zoning laws for rural properties in the county. Bottom line: Horse boarding facilities would no longer be considered "agricultural", threatening boarding throughout the county. Read on for more info, petition, meeting next Tuesday, and a sample letter.

This zoning change would impact small farms, including flower growers, poultry producers, wineries, crop farmers, and horse owners. This proposal specifically calls out exclusion of “Commercial Boarding Facilities” in the agriculture usage category as SCC excludes horses from the category of livestock.

This will make future permitting of new facilities nearly impossible in the county. And unless existing facilities come up to full current code, they won’t be permitted for any new projects or transfer of ownership should they want to pass on their properties to their family. It also may limit private horse owners’ ability to get permits for new barns on their own properties, as the current zoning allows for private “right to use” but has no other process for gaining approvals for equine facilities on your property. �

Equines are not the only agricultural use that will be driven out of business in Santa Clara County if these amendments were to pass, and many, many other counties are looking at us to lead the way for their future plans too. Want to buy your fresh eggs directly from the small poultry farmer that free ranges their hens? Not anymore! No more picking up fresh flowers from your local grower on your way home. Kiss supporting your neighbors who lovingly grow and harvest their own grapes to produce small batches of wine goodbye. Farmers markers? GONE! Farm to table restaurants will suffer too! There are no permits other than "right to use" for horses owned by the property owner on private land today. but this makes it a lot easier for that to be excluded.

They admitted they won't approve anything unless horse owners have everything up to code (which is expensive and nuts) and has led so many facilities to closing. They admitted they started working on horse permitting in 2018, but they have done nothing. They had 2 meetings in 2021, but never implemented the recommendations.
https://plandev.santaclaracounty.gov/programs-and-studies/planning-studies/horse-keeping

How can you help?
Educate yourself. Review the proposal, or at least the comparison tables, found on the counties website: https://plandev.santaclaracounty.gov/programs-and-studies/planning-studies/rural-zoning-amendments

2. Sign the petition: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.change.org%2Fp%2Fsanta-clara-county-don-t-push-out-horses%2Fexp%2Fcl_%2Fcl_sharecopy_490812257_en-US%2F9%2F1238321180%3Frecruiter%3D1238321180%26recruited_by_id%3D1eb3b300-53fc-11ec-a931-f1c4fe57ca8e%26utm_source%3Dshare_petition%26utm_campaign%3Dpsf_combo_share_initial%26utm_term%3Dpsf%26utm_medium%3Dcopylink%26utm_content%3Dcl_sharecopy_490812257_en-US%253A9%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4cCQRubiLWdgxan5eENnGbpMPsaO1seJFQO6pISq7m7xKjplNiuJbbJESArw_aem_1hkFEDXZgGOZl2KwgMK_Lg&h=AT1Tl8Wmw01D5FVE0vXPmSWUI_iF5BKt3gwPFeiA9mcaV0Mi0y-H-5QkoIR1jTrOP6FI-IYaQmJ4vRgACWCQE_gLtoxbe63XJSAKxa8pgAGiKRYtWJ9ZdfltCUYmiMdj4fYAs5stQe-JQV8OWYftvVY25KntI5ryR11-ww&__tn__=%2CmH-y-R&c[0]=AT0Bgo9MM-omRLK_2koHTnKTB2j8gbf1HUQcGBT0-b6szU7YpjgKPKO54m5NCMx5Eo_uoMggQbe7CwzZu8G3pvR3MDSLXVKuAiOEEiFLmEd9e8s3UWkHHTgEYP0N_hHm2le0CQsYAYsE5XA_ny-JzPiQS0fVGVUkx83jMFt8epTcd7Bjbio4w11m2lYSg7blAZpWGgHgmP7BrMDfM-trrF0

3. Write a letter- sample here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-zQ3j5HxhHOQFDJPpbghwksQk9OutYHF4C6zI7T0Wz0/edit?tab=t.0

plandev.santaclaracounty.gov

10/11/2025

Okay folks—these two people are absolutely doing their best, and I want to be clear: this is not about criticism. I’m using this publicly posted example purely for educational purposes. No negativity here—just an opportunity to learn and reflect.
When a horse is showing this level of anxiety around the saddle, correction is not the solution. The horse isn’t misbehaving—it’s communicating. This kind of response signals deep discomfort, likely built up over time. Applying a correction at this stage doesn’t resolve the anxiety; it merely interrupts it. It’s a pause, not a healing.
Before we even get to saddling, there’s foundational work to be done. We need to understand the horse’s emotional state, past experiences, and physical comfort. This means slowing down, listening more deeply, and addressing the root cause—not just the symptom. Compassionate horsemanship requires us to meet the horse where they are, not where we wish they were.
Let’s keep learning, keep supporting one another, and keep advocating for horses who’ve been trying to tell us something all along.

10/01/2025

I have no words for the incredible person who has inspired millions and has done nothing short of educational miracles for countless humans, animals, and habitats around the world.

09/29/2025

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09/27/2025

Something you think about.

09/26/2025

I am happy the humans are happy but what sticks out more to me is that this a prime example of horses just trying to " ...survive the day when in the company of humans." There is another soul to this team that also deserves respect for all the effort to make the “win.” Please humans, remember this truth when in these moments. Especially to the professional humans- people are watching and learning ‘ok’ behavior from you💝- Kristin Praly
Credit always to Harry Whitney for saying "Horses are just trying to survive the day when in the company of humans."