The Meadow Farm

05/16/2024

Amy Skinner Horsemanship

You know how your great aunt can’t be around you without commenting on your weight?
You know how your mother in law can’t stop asking when you’re gonna have a baby because she’s dying for grandchildren?

You know how your mom licks that napkin and squeezes your face while she whipes dirt off your cheek?
You know how, when you were a child, your parents brushed your hair too fast, pulled on your hair, and your feelings were dismissed? “Oh you’re being such a baby!”

You know the way that family dinner is so stressful, but your aunts make amazing food- so you have the draw of the food, and the stress of the discord and passive aggressive comments? You know the pressure to have seconds, to not offend, coupled with a comment on your weight?

You know all those tiny, nitpicky, well meaning things that drive you crazy? You know how horrible the hands that fuss over you feel? You know how terrible the dissonance between what’s said and what’s felt is?

They’re made to sound like they’re for you, but they’re not- they’re for the person doing them.
Don’t be that guy with your horse.

Pinching, picking, constant cleaning, fussing
Nitpicking every little step
Fussing with buckles, forgetting about the horse and wrenching leather over soft, sensitize surfaces
Yelling, smacking, emotional corrections and making up for it with food

Those are not for the horse- they’re for you.

Every touch should be for the horse.
Touch with intention
Focus on the task AND the horse
Guide, with care
Say no when you have to, without judgement or emotion
Say yes when you can, without going off the rails
Bring the horse to center
And be someone they find peace standing next to.

03/12/2024

As the weather warms up and people start getting out more, please remember just because you can see animals on a property does not mean you are invited to visit them.
Do not ever enter someone’s fields, barn, paddock or go anywhere near the animals unless you have explicit permission on that day. Not “oh it was ok last year, so this year should be fine”. You will need permission that day,. If you can not find someone,walk away. Being family or a close friend does not exclude you from this rule. You have no idea what is happening with those animals, on that day. Are they ill, recovering from something, on medicines that affect how they might respond to you? Was there a recent change in the herd that has made everyone in the field on edge? Uninvited guests are dangerous and unacceptable.
We had out of state individuals wandering our farm this afternoon. How would you feel if I was wandering around your backyard, feeding your children? You would not be pleased.
If we find you on our property without permission, it will not be pretty. Enjoy the weather and make sure you respect boundaries!

10/24/2023

Congratulations LIZ 👏🏻🌟 Liz is one of the best farriers in Vermont and she is constantly expanding her knowledge. Recently she had been studying hard to pass her THIRD Professional Certification in her field - and she PASSED 🙌🏻💥

🎉 Congrats LIZ!!

Being a Farrier is mentally and physically challenging, can you imagine holding a Deadlift position to balance a 1200lb animal?!😳

🙋🏻‍♀️Liz Longworth
Certified Farrier (CF)
Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF)
Advanced Skills Farrier (ASF)

08/02/2023

♥️♥️♥️

Vice Provost Dr. Jonna Mazet was awarded the K. F. Meyer/James H. Steele Gold-Headed Cane by the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES). The prestigious award dates to 1964 and recognizes career accomplishments and contributions to veterinary epidemiology, public health, and One Health. The...

08/02/2023

https://www.reformer.com/local-news/friesians-of-majesty-horse-farm-owner-faces-forfeiture-hearing/article_b9236b72-3089-11ee-9142-3fc6a92b20f6.html?utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR34B0BLUYJggoiJ6vAEj9hQkLnuCdZZY5L3d4gDOdzbsbP3PdILrDR7iOY&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

I stopped in to see this farm 15 years ago. The farm and the owner were in bad shape at that point, and although I did not see the terrible neglect that is described here, there were certainly questionable standards afoot. I am hopeful the state will find a way to shut the farm down, as this kind of behavior is almost always repeated. In my experience as a veterinarian, I have never seen individuals in these circumstances able to "turn things around". The biggest drivers in these situations are usually mental illness and lack of funding. The people involved need mental health services at the least, and /or incarceration if neglect and abuse is proven. Meanwhile, let's all step up and make sure the animals living in this nightmare are cared for.

BRATTLEBORO — The owner of Friesians of Majesty horse farm said in court on Tuesday that he would fight the forfeiture of 13 of his horses which were taken from

07/12/2023

05/06/2023

05/01/2023

05/01/2023

Dream big ❤️🐴

04/16/2023

'ARE YOU FARM STRONG"?
“Farm work doesn’t make you stronger. It doesn’t make you anything. It reveals you.
There’s gym strong and then there’s farm strong. They’re mutually exclusive. The toughest women you’ll ever meet spend their days on a farm.
There are more uses for twine than you can possibly imagine. You can tie up a hole in a slow feeder, fashion a tail strap for a horse’s blanket, mend a broken fence and use it as a belt.
“Well that certainly didn’t go as planned,” is one thing you’ll say quite a bit.
Control is a mere illusion. The thought that you have any, at any given time, is utterly false.
Sometimes sleep is a luxury. So are lunch and dinner. And brushing your hair.
If you’ve never felt your obliques contract, then you’ve never tried stopping an overly full wheelbarrow of horse manure from tipping over sideways. Trust me, you’ll find muscles that you never knew existed on the human skeleton to prevent this from happening.
When one of the animals is ill, you’ll go to heroic lengths to minimize their discomfort.
Their needs come first. In summer heat and coldest winter days. Clean water, clean bed, and plenty of feed. Before you have your first meal, they all eat.
When you lose one of them, even though you know that day is inevitable, you still feel sadness, angst and emotional pain from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. And it’s a heaviness that lingers even though you must regroup and press on.
You’ll cry a lot. But you’ll never live more fully. You’ll remain present no matter what because you must. There is no other option.
You’ll ask for so many miracles and hold out hope until the very last.
You will, at least once, face-plant in the manure pile. You’ll find yourself saying things like, “we have maybe twenty minutes of daylight left to git ‘er done” whilst gazing up at a nonspecific place in the sky.
You’ll become weirdly obsessive about the weather.
You’ll go out in public wearing filthy clothes and smelling of dirt, sweat and p**p. People will look at you sideways and krinkle their noses but you won’t care.
Your entire day can derail within ten seconds of the rising sun.
You can wash your coveralls. They won’t look any cleaner, but they will smell much nicer.
Farm work is difficult in its simplicity.
You’ll always notice just how beautiful sunrises and sunsets really are.
Should you ever have the opportunity to work on a farm, take the chance! You will never do anything more satisfying in your entire life.”
💗💗💗💗💗

04/08/2023

Full of the joys of Spring, Happy Easter!

03/27/2023

Our wonderful farm helper, Joey *stall cleaner extraordinaire* is a wonderful worker looking for one more farm to take on! He is a very dependable, does a beautiful job on our stalls and kind to all the animals on our farm. Here's your chance! Looking for a great someone to add to your farm team? DM us here!

03/26/2023

We are looking for a farm sitter the first weekend in May. We need someone who is very experienced with horses and can stay on property. Please DM to discuss.

03/26/2023

This is a likeness of HOPE, lost in Starksboro. Please text here or at 802.349.3796 with any info!

03/26/2023

PLEASE HELP FIND HOPE
Today, a little brown and tan tabby cat named Hope was lost at the Starksboro town hall. We are sure she is frightened, and would love to get her home! We have set Havahart Traps for her, but if you see her please let us know by calling us at 802.349.3796. She lives on States Prison Hollow Rd, about two miles from the town hall, and we are hoping she may head toward her home. All help appreciated so very much. 🐱❤️

03/26/2023

PLEASE HELP
Today, a little brown and tan tabby cat named Hope was lost at the Starksboro town hall. We are sure is frightened, and would love to get home! We have set Havahart Traps for her, but if you see her please let us know by calling us at 802.349.3796. She lives on Prison Hollow Rd, about two miles from the town hall, and we are hoping she may head toward her home. All help appreciated so very much. 🐱❤️

03/20/2023

Hi Everyone! Brave and I are going trail riding for a bit and are in need of a western saddle to do so. I am looking for something like a Circle Y, 16 in seat, full quarter horse bars and would prefer a shorter roping horn. Anyone have something they want to lend or sell?
Thanks, Pat

02/08/2023

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

This is an accompanying article to a Cornell Equine Seminar presented Dec. 14, 2021 by Dr. Barbara Delvescovo, clinical instructor in large animal medicine. The checklist for evaluating and caring for a newborn foal is extensive, with many things to look out for, both during birth and after. Underst...

01/19/2023

On average horses drink 7-10 gallons of water a day and this remains as important in cold weather as it is in the summer because reduced water intake can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as the dreaded impaction colic.

Studies demonstrate that horses will drink more if provided access to heated water and that most water consumption happens within three hours of feeding. How can you use this information to your advantage? Refill buckets at feed time with warm water to maximize your horse’s water intake—especially in the winter when water is more likely to be freezing or close to freezing.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about preventing colic in your horse, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!
•
Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

01/12/2023

If you know, you know !

12/16/2022

A horse’s diet can affect how quickly he absorbs the medications he receives. Hay-based diets fed in winter can cause slower absorption of certain medications.

12/07/2022

The Virgina Tech Helmet Lab has released its much-anticipated equestrian helmet ratings. Taking the top spot in the rankings is the $460 Champion Revolve X-Air MIPS helmet, but in good news for riders who are both frugal and safety conscious, the re...

12/07/2022

Enjoy this peaceful season...

12/06/2022

11/27/2022

BOARDING : We, like so many barns, are full at the moment. It is so hard to turn people away, and there seems to be a growing need here In Vermont. If you are interested In boarding your horse at a new facility, may we suggest getting on the wait list for that barn. Plans change and horses move all the time. (You would be surprised!) Also consider, It can take weeks and in some cases even months for a horse to really settle at his/her new home. This makes a great case for moving in the winter when you tend to do less training in the North East. Transition is just smoother when there is less going on. Vermont has a wonderful close knit equestrian community. Welcome to everyone reading this and please feel free to reach out, we love to "talk horses".