Croft Hollow

11/24/2022

Giving Thanks for everyday at Croft Hollow. Memories from this year.

05/12/2022

Rhinau CHW 2021 Registered Hanoverian c**t (Royal Prinz x Calais by Contucci x Andros)

We at Croft Hollow are proud of this Birthday boy. Just turned 1 year on Sunday and could not be happier with they way he is coming along.

With horses like Royal Diamond, The great Rubinstein, Dream of Glory, The infamous Donnerhall, Conutucci, Caprimond, and Anselm in his pedigree you can see why this c**t is so incredible.
With his uphill movement and elasticity this tall elegant c**t is sure to become a phenomenal Dressage horse. He also has an exemplary temperament and is of course playful and full of mischief.

05/12/2022

Dayligaun CHW 2021 registered Rhineland filly (Dark Pleasure x Lilyana by Londonderry x Rubinstein)

Croft Hollow is excited about this smart filly’s future. With horses like Londonderry, The great Rubinstein, UFO, Metall, Jazz, Ferro, and Cocktail her pedigree reads like a history book of the old greats. We are sure she will follow in their footsteps.
Dayligaun (Twyla around the farm) is the smartest foal we have ever had. She is fearless, curious, and unflappable. An elegant classic mover with just the right amount of chrome she is definitely an eye catcher. She loves to be the center of attention, a true princess, and loves her grooming time. She will definitely make an impression in the show ring.

05/08/2022

Desoronto (Don Frederico x Calais)at his first horse show with his mom Nicole Olivero. Congratulations you 2 did great 😊

04/29/2022

This ⬇️

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

02/10/2022

Winter at Croft Hollow-
A lot of snow, Happy Horses, and beautiful scenery. Oh yeah dogs too 😉