Misthaven

12/23/2025

12/22/2025

To change directions….
1.) KEEP RIDING, look where you want to go and keep your hips moving. Often riders “pause” their hips momentarily, or drop their focus. Likewise, if you are posting, and changing your diagonal, keep the rhythm exact! I’ve seen some ADVANCED riders rush diagonal changes.
2.) Scooch to the new inside so that it moves your weight a little more into your inside stirrup. Your new inside seatbone, knee, and heel will be an inch or two lower than the outside seatbone, knee, and heel. This will make your new inside leg a “power” leg because it will be more under you. This also encourages your horse to rotate the ribcage to the new outside!!!
3.) As you step into that new inside stirrup, think of it sending your horse into your new outside rein. You want a few more ounces in the outside rein than the inside, and the horse’s neck should touch as much of the outside rein as possible! The neck should not touch the inside rein at all! 4.) If the horse won’t flip the bend from just the seat change, LIFT the inside rein for a few steps.

If it takes a whole circle to get the new bend, stay on that circle once more before changing direction again.
It will likely be easier stepping into the stirrup on one side than the other, and it will also likely be way easier to put your horse into one outside rein versus the other. And THAT is why basics are so hard and so important!!

12/18/2025

A common fault when performing shoulder-in is that riders try to drag their horse’s shoulders onto an inside track using only their inside rein.

Instead, ride a 10-meter circle or use a corner to help you establish the required bend and get your aids in position.

Then, half-halt down your outside rein, look down the outside track, and use your inside leg to push your horse off the circle and down the long side, maintaining the shoulder-in positioning.

Think of your inside leg and seat as rhythmically encouraging your horse upwards and into your outside rein.

Ironically, out of all your aids, the inside rein is the one you should be using the least.

----

We have a more detailed step-by-step guide on how to position your horse for shoulder-in and how to ride it (including a list of all the individual aids) in our latest book. Link in the comments.)

----

Illustration created and copyrighted by HowToDressage

12/15/2025

12/13/2025

For the days when the barn saves you...

Some days, the barn saves you in ways you don’t even realize until afterward.
Not because anything magical happens,
not because life suddenly becomes easy,
but because it’s the one place where your heart can finally lay its burdens down.

Some days, you don’t come to ride.
You don’t come to train.
You don’t come to accomplish anything at all.
You come because you’re tired...
deep down tired-
in a way that sleep doesn’t fix
and words don’t express.

And somehow, the moment you step through those barn doors,
the air feels different.
Softer.
Quieter.
Safer.

The world slows down just enough
for you to catch up with yourself.

You hear the rustle of hay,
the shift of hooves,
the deep, steady breaths of a horse
who doesn’t care about your mistakes,
your deadlines,
your heartbreak,
your worries.

They just care that you’re here.
Present.
Real.
Human.
Hurting, maybe—
but still trying.

Some days, the barn holds your broken pieces
with more care than you hold them yourself.
It gives you a place to unravel
without judgment
and rebuild
without rush.

Some days, healing looks like
standing in a quiet stall
with your fingers buried in a soft mane,
crying into a warm shoulder
because you’ve been holding yourself together
for far too long.

Some days, healing looks like
listening to the rhythm of hoofbeats
until your heartbeat remembers
how to settle.

Some days, healing looks like
doing nothing at all—
just being,
just breathing,
just existing
beside a creature
who understands your silence
better than most people understand your words.

The barn doesn’t ask you to be strong.
It doesn’t ask you to smile.
It doesn’t ask you to pretend.
It simply gives you a place
to let the weight fall off your shoulders
for a little while.

And that alone
is sometimes enough
to get you through another day.

So if today is one of those days—
one where the world feels too heavy
and you don’t know where else to go—
go to the barn.

Let the dust,
the sunlight,
the breath of a gentle horse,
and the quiet of a place that has held generations of weary hearts
save you,
the way it has saved so many of us
more times than we can count.

Because some days,
when nothing else helps…
the barn saves you.

12/12/2025

12/12/2025

COLD WEATHER COLIC
Brian S. Burks, DVM
Diplomate, ABVP
Board Certified in Equine Practice

Winter is back, and snow is on the ground (at least in some areas). There are several things to consider for your horse when it comes to winter.

The number one cause of colic during cold weather is lack of fresh, unfrozen water. Most horses consume 25 liters (12 gallons) of water daily. Horses not getting enough water, for whatever reason, are at risk for impaction (and other) colic. Even if the water is not frozen, some horses may not like super-cold beverages; water is best at 45-65 F for most horses. A heated water bucket could be used, but these are potential fire hazards. If you are going to use heated water buckets, ensure that the horse cannot get to any portion of the electric cord, so that it cannot be chewed upon, and that it is plugged into an outlet with a ground fault interrupter (GFI). Also, check the electric in the entire barn for frayed wires, ensure that the circuit breakers are functional, and that the correct amount of current is being pulled from the electric source.

If the water is too cold for your horse, and you are not using heated water buckets, consider adding warm water to make the bucket contain tepid water. Hot water can can freeze faster than cold water (mpemba effect). There are also bucket cozies to fit around the water bucket and help prevent freezing. Consider adding appropriate amounts of electrolytes to the water; every brand is different, but Peak Performance has electrolytes without fillers such as sugar. Salt may be added to grain or hay to help encourage drinking. Snow will not compensate for inadequate water sources, as it is largely comprised of air, thus not providing the same volume of water.

A second factor to consider is parasitism. This can sometimes occur in well dewormed horses. Small strongyles, or Cyathostomes, overwinter in the intestinal wall of the horse. When the larval forms detect that the outside temperatures are no longer warm- they like 70-800 F- they will, sometimes en mass, pe*****te the bowel wall where they have arrested development, or hibernation, and this massive entrance, causes intestinal inflammation. Clinical signs range from weight loss, to partial anorexia, to unrelenting pain, depending upon the amount of infestation.

There is no good way to test for larval cyathostomiasis. Since they are larval forms, there is no egg production to be detected upon f***l examination. It is not practical to take biopsies of the colon, but they can be obtained from the duodenum via gastroscopy and the re**um. If the samples detect an eosinophilic enteritis, this is supportive, with appropriate clinical signs of larval cyathostomiasis. Abdominal ultrasonography may also be supportive. The bowel wall may have thickening, and there may be hyperechoic (bright white) foci present within the bowel wall.

It is important to recognize that most dewormers do not affect the encysted larval forms. There are a couple of ways to treat this condition, one of which in tube deworming for three days with high doses of fenbendazole. Moxidectin gets at least some of the larval forms, but not all of them.

Gastric ulceration may occur due to the stress of being kept inside rather than being turned out, as in the summer months. You may choose medication as prevention, or simply continue to turn out, except in extreme weather. Horses that are used to being turned out in cold handle the weather without any problem. Turn out also keeps the horse moving, which helps keep the GIT moving, preventing colic. Standing in a stall reduces intestinal motility. Remember that wet blankets will make horses colder than no blanket at all, although wet hair coats do not function normally. When on turn out, adequate shelter should be provided to allow them to get out of the wind, rain, and snow.

Providing adequate forage is essential for proper digestive function. This will also provide more internal heat to keep your horse warm. Horses were designed as continuous grazing animals, and providing free access to hay will not only keep them warm, but ensure adequate gastrointestinal function, helping to prevent colic from impaction and gastric ulceration. High-fiber forage, however, can make movement through the intestinal tract more difficult, especially when coupled with decreased water intake.

The cold affects many things, including humans that do not wish to be out in sub-freezing temperatures. By spending a few more minutes, however, you may help ensure your horse gets through the winter with minimal issues.

Dr. Brian Burks is the owner/veterinarian at Fox Run Equine Center, a 24-hour medical-surgical center near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Equine Practice). This certifies him as an expert in all categories of equine practice.

Fox Run Equine Center

www.foxrunequine.com

(724) 727-3481

12/12/2025

12/10/2025

Another simple way to assess the hoof capsule/P3 alignment. These three points in the frog should align with these three points on the peripheral edge of the sole. If there is deviation, this can take time to realign.