Senneville Hunter Jumper Farm

10/28/2025

10/23/2025

Say it louder!

10/21/2025

10/08/2025

🌿 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 #2: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗼 🌿
Keeping your pastures — and your horses — safe from the plants we most often see causing trouble in North Florida.

🍃 𝗔 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 🍃

Creeping indigo thrives almost all year in Florida’s sandy soils, but it’s often easiest to spot when grass thins out — along driveways, fencelines, or parking areas where it’s carried in on tires or equipment. 🚗

🐴 Horses can actually develop a taste for it and seek it out — but don’t panic, toxicity usually comes from repeated ingestion over time, not a single bite.

⚠️ Signs of chronic exposure can include:
• Weight loss
• Depression or dullness
• Eye discharge
• Neurologic changes

✅ Control tips:
Pulling it up often leaves roots behind. For long-term control, treat with GrazonNext® or another pasture-safe herbicide labeled for creeping indigo.
Recheck the area after treatment before turning horses back out.

If you’re unsure whether that plant creeping along your fenceline is the real thing, snap a photo and send it our way — we’re happy to help.

🌿 This is the second post in our 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 — helping you spot the hidden pasture hazards we see most often in North Florida.
Catch up on last week’s post on 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱, and stay tuned for 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 (𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗼𝘅) next week. 👀

09/17/2025

𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Corticosteroid injections are one of the most reliable ways to manage joint inflammation and keep performance horses feeling their best. Different options are used depending on the joint, how it moves, and the demands of the horse’s workload.

Common corticosteroids:
*Methylprednisolone acetate – effective in joints that don’t have a lot of motion and provides longer relief
*Triamcinolone acetonide – often selected for high-motion joints where smooth movement matters
*Betamethasone – a balanced option that provides both quick and steady relief

Each steroid has its own strengths, and the right choice depends on the individual horse, the specific joint, and long-term soundness goals. What matters is not just reducing soreness but helping joints stay comfortable under the stress of training and competition.

𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐗 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
xxvets.com ◦ (940) 514-9500

09/16/2025

🇨🇭 Double Olympic champion Steve Guerdat has undergone a second back surgery and is forced to take a break from competition in order to focus on recovery.

Read more via the link in the comments below.

08/31/2025

08/27/2025

These are the forces on your horse's back when he is being ridden while not using his back correctly - ie, ridden in draw reins or in a (VERY common) hollow backed, false frame.

This is also what happens to your horse's back when you follow the latest "fads" in Dressage, and obsess about having the poll high and trying to LIFT the horse's front end, instead of correctly engaging the horse's *croup* and hind legs to naturally elevate the front end.

This is why so many horses develop kissing spines!

Educating yourself, and learning how to do things correctly are the very best things you can do for your horse.

08/21/2025

08/20/2025

📸✨ Bill Steinkraus, 1967 🐎💨

A moment in time capturing Olympic champion Bill Steinkraus with his incredibly brave horse. True courage, trust, and partnership on full display. 🌟

A timeless image from one of the greats of show jumping history. 🇺🇸

08/20/2025

05/12/2025

If your canter length is not 12 feet (3.6 m), you're making it difficult for your horse to find a good takeoff spot. Show jumping courses are designed to accommodate a standard canter stride length and are not adjusted to each horse's stride. This means courses with related lines (ie all of them!) and distances in combinations will be significant challenges if you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter.

Yes, it's possible to jump clear without a standard stride, but you'll need a great "eye". You've probably seen the "old school" riders who hold and hold and hold until they "see a spot," then they chase it down. This approach requires a reactive horse, bigger bits, nosebands, martingales, and the often yelled instruction of "MORE LEG".

There are better ways to achieve consistency.

Inconsistent stride lengths increase wear and tear on your horse, which we want to avoid at all costs. I'm not saying you don't need an adjustable canter or a sharp eye—because you do—but it should be subtle.

We've all heard people say, "riders just sit there; the horse does all the work." You CAN learn to ride like that, but it requires careful preparation. If you don't have one yet, get a long tape measure and use it for the free exercises on my website (link in comment). You'll be on your way to improvement!

Most jumping riders practice straight-line distances, but it's just as important to master the 3.6 m (12-foot) stride on curved lines. At home, you can test this by placing two poles on opposite sides of a 20-meter circle. Canter around the circle and count how many strides you take between the poles.

You should be able to canter eight non-jumping strides for each half of the 20-meter circle. If this is new to you, you might end up with around ten strides, or even more. Here's the maths: The circumference of a 20-meter circle (C = πd) is about 63 meters, which is 17.5 standard canter strides. For simplicity, we'll call it 18. Subtract two strides for the poles, leaving 16. Half of that is eight.

Don't say that's too hard! Your phone has a calculator, and if you rotate it, you'll find a scientific calculator with a π symbol. If you want to be a jumping rider there are no excuses for being lazy about distances and canter length. You cannot improve what you do not measure.

One day, you'll face a combination off a half-circle approach. If you're counting ten strides between the poles on a 20-meter circle, how will you safely jump though a combination approached from a turn? If you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter by riding eight strides over poles on the ground in both directions, please hold off on jumping courses for now. Nail down the right canter so you can handle bigger tracks harmoniously without pulling and chasing. Your horse will thank you.