Desert Pines Ranch Horses

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Wishing you all Love and Blessings!!!

12/04/2025

Great information!!!

THE COLD WEATHER IS UPON US! ❄️

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
•
Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

10/07/2025

https://mygivingcircle.org/desert-pines-horse-rescue/donate/free

Each year MyGivingCircle gives away $500,000 in grants and donations. You can help Desert Pines Horse Rescue by Donating today.

07/29/2025

07/29/2025

07/29/2025

Great info from While it’s a common equine emergency, esophageal obstruction (“choke”) can look alarming, especially if you’ve never seen it before. Unlike in human medicine, where choking refers to a tracheal (or windpipe) obstruction, choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach).

Most commonly, choking occurs when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing appropriately, which results in a firm bolus lodged in the animal’s esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects. Poor dentition, which leads to inadequate chewing, is also a frequent cause of choke.

While common, choke can have serious consequences. So, be sure to call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke. A bad choke is fairly obvious to both veterinarians and horse owners, but a mild choke could be confused with an upper respiratory tract infection or colic.

07/29/2025

With recent strangles outbreaks popping up on equine newsfeeds, concerns about respiratory illnesses have become prominent.

07/28/2025

Ask. Believe. Receive. Give thanks. 🍃

Ask: Keep a running conversation with the divine. Ask for what you need. Enlist help with your challenges. Enlist help for your dreams. Enlist help in all things.

Believe: Believe - even assume - that help is on the way, that the Universe is conspiring to assist you from the very moment the prayer leaves your heart.

Receive: Listen for gentle guidance and follow it. Open to nudges and follow their lead. Trust your instincts and your inner voice.

Give thanks: With each breadcrumb of guidance, offer a whisper of thanks. Even when our answers appear in ways we don't expect, give thanks. 🍃

One step, one breath at a time. Help is here. 🍃

From Every Day Spirit: A Daybook of Wisdom, Joy and Peace. Daily tools for your spiritual journey. Yours is right here: www.everydayspirit.net

** I’ll be off on Monday!! See you Tuesday with so much love. xo Mary ✨