Horse Around New Mexico Dec'17/Jan'18 by Cecilia Kayano

NEW MEXICO HORSES

RIDES

TRAINING

PEOPLE

PLACES

New Mexico DEC 2017 / JAN 2018

HOT WINTER RIDES

THINKING OF TAKING THE WINTER OFF? get your horse trail ready instead

IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO

GIFTS OUR HORSES GIVE US

HORSES

helping healing

VETERANS FREE! / HOLIDAY ISSUE / WINTER RIDING DESTINATIONS / ARENAS / HORSE BEHAVIOR

LAKIN PELLETS...

"HEALTHY SHINE FROM THE INSIDE OUT!" Cyndi Keller bought Yukon, a 17 year old Palomino Quarter Horse gelding, who was at least 400 pounds underweight and had a dull and rough hair coat. After feeding him Equidyne Pellets for only five months, he gained over 400 lbs. and the color and texture of his hair coat became amazing!

yndi Keller, who owns Non Ame’ Acres Ranch, has been raising, training and showing Quarter Horses and Miniature Horses for over 30 years. “My horses and minis have been fed Lakin Pellets since I began my ranch. At one time, I had over 30 Minis on the place, so we have used all four varieties of Lakin pellets at some point in time. When showing, I never needed to spray my horses with anything to make them shine. They already had a natural shine, and I didn't have to deal with all that sticky oil residue from the sprays. “After my last Palomino passed, I started looking for another Palomino riding horse. I found a 17 year old AQHA palomino gelding for sale online. We went to see him. They needed to get rid of him, and he was just too sweet to leave behind. “While Yukon (which I named him since he had the metallic golden body hairs that reflect the sun, so there was no other

name he could have but "Yukon Gold!) seemed healthy, our vet said he was at least 400 pounds too thin and should be put on supplements. Although I was feeding Lakin Estrella pellets, I decided to switch Yukon to Lakin Equidyne. In four months, I had a different horse. He put on over 400 pounds, but the most noticeable change was his coat. It was so soft and shined like satin. And the color... he went from a light palomino to a golden chocolate palomino and has kept that color throughout the winter. He also has boundless energy ... he bucks and plays like a yearling! “Our farrier says Yukon has the most healthy hooves. Just goes to show what excellent nutrition can do! “With the many years of success I have had with Lakin Pellets, there is no way I am using any other feed for my horses!”

LAKIN MILLING LAKIN MILLING COMPANY www.lakinmilling.com 623.932.3970 Makers of Estrella, Equidyne, Dyna-Foal and Laking Lite Pellets. COMPANY FIND LAKIN PELLETS AT THESE NEW MEXICO STORES:

4456 S. Dysart Road Mesquite: Landmark Mercantile, 575-635-4173 Albuquerque: Dan’s Boots & Saddles, 505.345.2219 Avondale, Arizona 85323 Milan: CJ’s Feed & Supply, 505-285-6608

Ruidoso: Harvey’s Feed & Supply, 575-378-8750 (623)Belen:932-3970 Old Mill, 505-865-5432 Santa Fe: San Marcos Cafe & Feed, 505-471-9298 Corrales: Village Mercantile, 505-897-9328 www.lakinmilling.comSoccoro: Southwest Feed, 575-835-3333 Animas: Valley Mercantile, 575-548-2291

Farmington: Circle W Trading, 505-324-0278

Tijeras: Western Mercantile, 505-877-1504

Gallup: Tof & R Market, 505-722-4366Equidyne, Makers Estrella, Tularosa: Hughes Farm & Ranch, 575-585-2200 Las Cruces: Horse N Hound Feed & Supply, Dyna-Foal and Lakin Lite Pellets. 575-523-8790

...Cyndi Keller

HOLIDAY ISSUE

HELPING VETERANS / WINTER DESTINATIONS / TRAIL RIDING TUNE-UP

FEATURES

12 The Gift Of The Horse

Beautiful photos and heartfelt comments by New Mexico horse people about the gifts our horses give us

18 Horses For Heroes

A non-profit organization employs horses to heal military veterans' bodies and souls

21 Training Horses For Healing

This program trains horses for veterans' therapy programs

22 Head South

Discover southern destinations for wintertime fun and adventure

26 Watch And Learn

5 basic horse behaviors to observe and learn from

30 Trail Skills To Practice This Winter From mounting to putting on a slicker, if you teach your horse these, he will make for a safer ride come spring

32 Arenas

Check out these open-air and covered arenas in the Albuquerque, East Mountains and Santa Fe areas

34 Buying Used Saddles

If you know what to look for, you can get some great deals on English, Western, vintage

38 Preparing For Goodbye

PLUS

33 Horse Services Directory 36 Sheath Cleaning Is it really necessary?

When your horse passes, it helps to know the options

Horse Around New Mexico is printed five times per year: Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. Submissions of articles and photos from all around NM are welcome! See our website or email/call for submission standards/deadlines: www.horsearoundnm.com, HorseNewMexico@gmail. com, 505-570-7377. Horse Around New MexicoÂŠ2017. All rights reserved. Horse Around New Mexico and Horsearoundnm.com are copyrighted, trademarked, and the sole property of Cecilia Kayano. Individual content copyright belongs to the author. All the opinions expressed herein are the sole opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect bias or belief on the part of the editor, publisher, distributors, printer, advertisers, or other contributors.

New Mexico

New Mexico horseback riders just received two magnificent Christmas gifts: The El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail and the Sabinoso Wilderness. On Oct. 26 there was a groundbreaking for this 14.7-mile section of the El Camino Real Trail on the Caja del Rio Plateau near Santa Fe. The trail’s name means The Royal Road to the Interior. It was Spain's official path bringing emigrants north from Mexico City in 1598. When the trail is completed (mid 2018), it will be the longest stretch of public access, non-motorized trail along the El Camino Real. Eventually it may link to the Rio Grande Trail, a 500-mile cross-state trail that will be open to hiking, biking and horseback riding. This trail will highlight the Rio Grande’s corridor, and go through national wildlife refuges, national monuments, and state parks. Imagine riding from Texas to Colorado through some of New Mexico’s most historic areas. I’m already dreaming about riding its entirety. But wait, there’s more! In mid-November, a public access road into the Sabinoso Wilderness was opened, allowing hikers and horseback riders to get to the 19,000acre wild land east of Las Vegas. The Sabinoso was designated wilderness in 2009, but there was no public access until the Wilderness Land Trust purchased and donated a 3,500-acre parcel adjacent to it. The Sabinoso is no longer the only US Wilderness without public access. One week after the access was opened, MaryAnne Reynolds and I rode 10 miles into the main canyon of the Sabinoso. The road to get there was somewhat tricky in places, but when we arrived at the trail head, there was only one other vehicle. The trail starts out atop a mesa, then drops into the red-rimmed canyon. The stream through the canyon is crystal clear, changing color from deep forest green to turquoise blue. The canyon width starts at about ¼ mile, then broadens to a mile, with mysterious box canyons to the sides. On our ride, human footprints and shod hoof prints ended five miles in. Then there were only tracks of turkey, deer, bobcat and bear. At nine miles, the trail was spotted with horse manure piles, and unshod hoof prints. On the return, we came across an almost-steaming pile of bear scat -- but not a speck of trash, no fire rings, few signs of human use (a dozen cattle and a fenced enclosure). But best of all, the silence was thick. Both MaryAnne and I noted this. No buzz of humanity, maybe because our own brains and souls stopped their frantic activity. I will write about the Sabinoso in the March/April issue of this magazine. Until then, try it out yourself, or at least let your imagination run wild: We are now able to experience a truly untrammeled wilderness. And we will someday be able to ride along the Rio Grande River from Texas to Colorado. Both the El Camino Real Trail and the Sabinoso Wilderness were made available to us because of the hard work and vision of many people. Their gift to us is not only an opportunity for fun aboard our horses, but a chance to dream -- of riding across our state, of horse camping in the true wild. Should we partake, these experiences will broaden our understanding of what it means to be a human being on this planet. They will make us calmer and wiser. They will give us an undefinable understanding of and connection to nature. They will help us be better stewards of our state, its wildlife and spectacular lands.

Cecilia Kayano MaryAnne Reynolds aboard Night in the newlyaccessible Sabinoso Wilderness. 4

THE NEXT ISSUE OF HORSE AROUND WILL APPEAR ON STANDS MARCH 1, 2018. If you can't wait that long for horsey information and inspiration, follow us on Facebook: Horse Around New Mexico.

Editor/Publisher CECILIA KAYANO Associate Editor PEGGY CONGER Facebook/Events SUSIE SPICER Manager Outreach Manager RŌNI MERBLER Contributing Writers ROELIFF ANNON & Photographers CHARLIE FIVE DEANNA COLEMAN ROSE GARCIA THOMAS GARCIA DAVID GIFFORD HORSES FOR HEROES KATY LETY GABRIELLA MARKS SHAWN MURPHY KEVAN SAUNDERS BIANC SHANNON SUSAN SMITH Staff Writers & EVALYN BEMIS Photographers STACIE G. BOSWELL Graphic Design/Layout MARIE ANTHONY Advertising & Sales FREE Events Listing

HORSENEWMEXICO@GMAIL.COM EVENTSHORSEAROUND@GMAIL.COM

Subscriptions $30/YR MAIL CHECK TO:

HANM * PO BOX 367* PECOS * NM 87552 OR PURCHASE ONLINE AT:

www.horsearoundnm.com Next Issue: Get Ready Issue Well-written, informative articles and high-resolution photos are welcome. Submissions will be considered and are subject to editing. The next issue, the Get Ready Issue, will appear at New Mexico outlets on March 1, 2018. The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2017. The deadline for ads is January 5, 2018. For information contact Cecilia Kayano, HANM Editor, 505-570-7377, HorseNewMexico@gmail.com, www.horsearoundnm.com

Need more trail riding details, horsey events and equine inspiration? Check out our expanded Facebook page. Make sure to like us! COVER PHOTO: Julie Phillips aboard Pistol in the Bisti Wilderness. Photo by Evalyn Bemis.

Small-Town Service, Large Selection

Paul’s Veterinary Supply

Merry Christmas

FIND THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE HORSE LOVER, stocking stuffers under $20, free gift wrapping

from Krissy, Hunter, and the staff of Paul’s Vet Supply

KEEP YOUR HORSE WARM with a horse blanket, many styles and sizes DRESS YOUR HORSE UP with a new headstall, from classic to bling Paul’s Veterinary Supply is known for our friendly, knowledgeable customer service! Have a horse care question? Stop by and ask!

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HAL BURNS

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Sierra is a chocolate/flaxen 7-month-old filly, can be registered Rocky Mountain Horse, $1200 My Darling Clementine is a champagne, one-year-old registered RMH, $2,000

Other Rocky Mountain Horses are available. Located in the East Mountains. Call Sue at 505-850-4663.

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EQUINE BODY BALANCE Informed by Equine Ortho-Bionomy, Equine Positional Release: a non-force bodywork approach – addresses acute and chronic injury patterns, structural, visceral, fluids, soft tissue, circulation that may manifest in lameness, illness and behavioral patterns. MOUNTED BODY BALANCE The application of Equine Body Balance techniques for the horse coupled with Ortho-Bionomy for the human, mounted or unmounted sessions. Focus on deriving the best possible outcome for horse and rider by working with the strengths in each. ORTHO-BIONOMY Non-force bodywork for the human, based on Osteopathy, that addresses all body systems: acute and chronic injury patterns, structural, visceral, fluids, soft tissue, circulation – with focus on self-correction.

Professional certifications: Associate Instructor & Advanced Practitioner – Ortho-Bionomy & Equine Ortho-Bionomy, Practitioner – Equine Positional Release (EPR). Member ABMP; Society of Ortho-Bionomy International; Independent Liberty Trainers Network. . Located in Santa Fe. info@susansmithsantafe.com www.susansmithsantafe.com 505-501-2478

HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

LUSH RIO GRANDE VALLEY HORSE PROPERTY 6.5 ACRES IN LOS LUNAS $590,000

A beautiful, private Santa Fe style home, 3150 Sq Ft, with exposed adobe walls, beamed ceiling, Pella windows and doors, 4 fireplaces, brick and tile flooring. All built hacienda style with 3 bedroom suites. A gourmet kitchen with a Wolf gas range and a second electric cook top, sub zero fridge, HUGE pine kitchen island and a wet bar. Outside features 3 private courtyards and a tree-covered patio. The welcoming 800 Sq Ft guest house is cozy and cute! Horse facilities include 5 stall Sweetwater barn with hay storage and tack room, 3 ac. in alfalfa, riding arena, turn outs and round pen--all behind an electric gate! This property offers so much more for the horseman or gentleman farmer! Privacy! Serenity! Security! "Your horse property specialist in the Albuquerque, Santa Fe and surrounding areas."

TEMPLE DANIELS, Associate Broker c: 505-620-7558 o: 505-910-4663 1400 Main St NW, Suite J, Los Lunas, NM

keep them vibrant keep them healthy Western Trails Veterinary Hospital is the best choice for excellent pet, horse, and cattle care in the East Mountains. AFTER-HOUR EMERGENCIES AND HOUSE CALLS:

505-286-4604

OUR TEAM

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Western Trails Veterinary Hospital 2126 Old Route 66 Edgewood, New Mexico www.WesternTrailsVet.com

large & small animals 24/7 emergency care

505-286-4604

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

0843_Morton_112.qxp_Layout 1 3/2/17 9:37 AM Page 1

Stall Barn | Riding Arena | Equine Facility | Pasture Shelter | Hay Storage

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To learn more and to get started on your project, contact Morton Buildings today. ©2017 Morton Buildings, Inc. A listing of GC licenses available at mortonbuildings.com/licenses. NM License #016516 Reference Code 043

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stern e W ’s o ic x e M w e N g in v r Se eds e n d e e F d n a k c a T , r a e W since 1953 Voted BEST WESTERN WEAR STORE

Not just Boots and Saddles

in Albuquerque The Magazine for three years running!

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ath Stop in AND Smell the le 8

HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

(On 4th, North of Osuna)

505-345-2220

Open Mon-Sat 9-6 • Sun 11-4

Custom Saddles by McCall

Custom Saddles by County of England

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

Pet cremation keeps them close to the heart ...so the memories never fade. When your beloved horse or pet dies, it is a traumatic time. Let Albuquerque Pet Memorial Service be there for you and your pet. We are the only family owned and operated animal cremation service in New Mexico. We are animal lovers, and promise to treat your pet with the dignity and respect it deserves. THIS MEANS:

We empathize

with you at this difficult time, and will explain options for cremation according to your budget and special wishes. when we pick up your horse or pet at your home, boarding facility or veterinary office.

We are respectful We understand

your need to keep your pet’s remains close by, or scatter them at a meaningful place. We offer a wide selection of urns, and can engrave them with words of comfort. Albuquerque Pet Memorial Service is owned by Kelly and Dave Gifford. Pictured here is Kelly with the couple’s Iceland Horse Ani and pet Sophie.

ALBUQUERQUE PET MEMORIAL SERVICE 132 Mountain Park Place NW Suite A, Albuquerque, New Mexico

PHONE:

505-550-4793 / PAGER: 505-790-5596 www.AlbuquerquePetMemorial.com

hinking of making a move? Let horse property specialist Rōni Merbler help you start your preparations NOW so your horse property will be ready for that strong springtime sales market!

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

1. Clean up the entrance of the property, keep foliage trimmed and cleared and grass mowed. When the time comes, plant fresh color at the entrance of the property.

2. Be sure the house is ready • Be sure corrals are clean, and fencing is safe and in with fresh paint, de-cluttering, good condition. clean floors and counter tops. Change any light bulbs that • Patch any leaking roofs in may be burned out. the barn or shelter. 3. Keep those front and back porches swept and clean of debris and cobwebs. 4. Horse properties need extra preparations. Keep these tips in mind:

Rōni Merbler CRS, ABR, Broker Associate

• Remove any stored items, bird nests, cobwebs, etc. • Be sure water spigots are in good working order. • Determine what farm machinery will convey with the property and have it in good working condition.

CALL RŌNI TODAY. SHE WILL HELP YOU MOVE YOUR HORSE PROPERTY

FROM LISTED TO SOLD!

Rōni Merbler CRS, ABR, Broker Associate

ENCHANTED HOMES REAL ESTATE

505.249.5102

Photo © tonystromberg.com

The Ride of Your Life

Conformation Balancing is deceptively simple. With patient, conscientious placement of your hands on specific areas of the horse’s body, you can bring about profound change in his physical and mental well-being. The secret? The internet-like web of fascia beneath the skin. Fascia is the connective tissue that “holds everything together”—it wraps around, attaches, and stabilizes muscles and internal organs, communicating with all parts, while providing structure and organization. But here’s the thing: Fascia also is a reservoir for emotional trauma and tension. This means that when you help a horse find a physical release in a “stuck” area of strain or stiffness, you invite psychological healing, as well.

Balance your life

“

Therapies for The inner equesTrian

IS IN YOUR HANDS

This is a book that goes beyond the anatomical importance of the connective tissue system in horses.... It addresses the holistic need of the horse to be understood and respected. It gives insight into the way fascial tension affects the behavior and performance of horses and how relief for the fascial system provides horses with much more than alleviation of pain. This book should be in the library of all horse owners.

”

with Joseph Freeman. Her method of Conformation Balancing developed through years of work with horses experiencing elusive athletic limits. An avid rider, Henkels includes a rider’s perspective in her bodywork techniques. Her riding experiences have taken her to Ireland with the Willie Leahy Connemara and Coast tours, and at home, she explores dressage, trail rides, and has foxhunted. Henkels continually researches conformation in relation to her unique approach in order $29.95 USD ISBN 978-1-57076-791-3 to offer new tools for looking at the horse’s 52995 appearance to find athletic imbalances.

Define your path

www.horseandriderbooks.com

Lynn Clifford, LMHC, EAGALA 505.231.5353 lynn@lynnclifford.com pHonE, SkypE or in pErSon

Printed in China

MADALYN WARD, DVM

Following a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Margret Henkels was a reporter and sales associate in the newsprint industry, while her visual skills were honed in the art business in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A deep passion for horses, good health, and learning to find her own 100-percent fitness drew Henkels into equine bodywork. She is certified in Matrix Energetics, a Quantum Energy work developed by Dr. Richard Bartlett, and Equine Natural Movement (Heller Work for horses)

100%?

OR IS HE STUCK OUT OF SHAPE?

margret henkels

100%?

Claim your ride

IS YOUR HORSE

100%

ABILITY

henkels

Resolve Painful Limitations in the Equine Body with Conformation Balancing and Fascia Fitness

9 781570 767913

Conformation Balancing puts the power in your hands with this book & DVD Give your horse a gift that v Learn about how the miracle v brings him happiness and fitness, every season!

of fascia, the body’s internet, affects your horse.

BOOK AND DVD AVAILABLE AT:

Trafalgar Square Books’ Website -HorseAndRiderBooks.com

ConformationBalancing.com

THE GIFT THE HO Photographer Evalyn Bemis shares her photos, and New Mexico horse people share their thoughts on what horses bring into their lives, and why they are grateful.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY EVALYN BEMIS 12 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

OF RSE

Letizia Reato

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

usually say I like animals more than people. This is true, but my favorite people are horse people. How can you not like someone who has a sense of humor after being bucked off or stepped on a few times and still spends their life around horses? I am grateful for the wonderful friends I have made through our mutual horse connection. You really get to know someone when they help you change a tire on the horse trailer, or you lend them your favorite piece of tack and it comes back cleaner and more supple than when it left the barn. Horse people understand what it feels like to be up all night walking a colic and they will let you off the hook for forgetting your ride date with them. They sympathize that you can’t bring yourself to give up on the broncy/dopey/lame/old/young/lazy one that you saw a glimmer of magic in when you brought it home. They’ll put an arm around you when you do lose one and understand without you having to say a thing. I asked some of these special people (plus a few I hardly know but admire just the same) to share with the readers of Horse Around New Mexico what it means to them to have horses in their lives. Here are their answers, straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth. Mike Anaya, rancher and former Santa Fe County Commissioner, Galisteo. (Interview by Kevan Saunders.)

Mike is grateful for being raised in a rural community in which the horse was a vital element. “I am thankful to my wonderful parents who brought my siblings and me up in the beautiful village of Galisteo and

on the family ranch in Stanley where we learned our values and how to take care of the animals that were so important in our daily lives," he says. Mike does not see the horse as the next blue ribbon, money or trophy. Mike grew up with the horse as a tool and a necessity. You were grateful to have

14 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

a horse to ride and check fence and you were grateful if you had a horse to bring in cows. As he became older and over the years of having many horses, Mike is now seeing horses more as individuals, with personalities that differ from one to another. He has learned to work with

Mike Anaya

each as an individual. Mike is grateful for his relationship with his horses and mules, and has learned to deepen his communication skills. He now realizes how important the partnership is and has developed a profound awareness and gratitude for how hard the horse will work for you when you are a team.

Alexis Fastle

Alexis Fastle, horse trainer and college student, Corrales. “Whether it's watching the suspicious snorting of a scrawny wild mustang on her first day in my care, or riding my well-bred quarter horse mare in the soft sand of a high-dollar arena, there is never a moment that I am not amazed by the nature of these animals. They come into our lives, and we think we have a plan for them, all too often unaware of their plan for us. "It is hard to say whether the horse or human receives more training in the time the two spend together. I may train the horse to take leads and side pass in a perfectly straight line, but she teaches me to hold her water at exactly a 45-degree angle when she drinks and to only laugh when she refuses to come within 50 feet of the tarp we’ve walked over every day for two weeks straight. "In other words, I teach her a few skills and she teaches why our time together matters: not for the win but for every experience we share together along the way. "In the end, my lessons are only as important as she allows them to be, but her lessons to me are what make the whole thing worthwhile. This, to me, is what it means to share a life with a horse. Anyone can own a horse, but one does not truly share his life with her until he listens to her lessons as attentively as he expects her to listen to his. We may make the plans, but it is the horse that makes them matter.”

Natasha Enriquez, wife, mother, barrel racer, vet technician, Santa Fe. “Horses have touched my life in so many ways and opened so many doors. From the moment that I fell in love with them as a small child I knew I needed them in

Natasha Enriquez my life. I learned to ride with my father in Jemez Pueblo and found my passion for barrel racing. I am now fortunate enough to work with horses in my career as a veterinary technician. I am grateful for horses because they have made me the person that I am today.”

Letizia Reato, T.I.P. trainer for the

BLM’s wild horse program and advocate for mustangs, Santa Fe.

“My childhood wasn’t always filled with good memories… People were the ones causing heartache and misery. Horses were the ones fixing it. Every second I would spend with a horse was full of happy thoughts and good memories. Even if I was thrown on the ground, stepped on or kicked, it all happened with an honest response to something and it would happen instantly. They have never let me down and they have never lied to me.

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

Sam Grogan "This honesty transcends to the handler. When things aren’t working out or a horse 'just doesn’t want to listen' it’s generally caused by something that we are overlooking. We aren’t listening or paying enough attention and the horse is telling us something that we misinterpret. Over the years I have come to realize just that, how important it is to take a step back and listen… and listen again! Then the solution will present itself."

Sam Grogan, trainer for The Horse Shelter and winner of the 2017 Gimme Shelter Trainer’s Challenge, Cerrillos.

“From the very first moment I was introduced to horses and began my horsemanship journey, I have been instructed in what an incredible animal the horse is. A horse is an amazing student and even better teacher. In working with them, I have learned not only how to be a better horseman but how to be a better person with a stronger character. "Anyone who has worked with a horse knows that patience and understanding are the first things you need to have. Without them you will never find success

16 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

with your horse. I have also found this to be very true in life outside of horses. Horses have also taught me to be confident, respectful, kind, and receptive. These are just a few of the many things I have learned. It seems every time I step into the pen with one I learn one more thing to carry with me. I can confidently say I would not be the same person without them.”

Evalyn Bemis is a lifelong equestrian who continues to learn from every horse she meets. View Evalyn's photography online by searching Evalyn Bemis Photography.

You Will Ride Better With Massage: • Relieve soft tissue dysfunction • Rehabilitate injuries • Manage pain

“

• Unwind trauma • Relieve stress • Promote healing and relaxation

I am an avid horsewoman. Jennifer’s massage technique makes it easier for me to ride. My horse appreciates the changes in my body as much as I do! -- Nancy Freshour, Equestrian

Medicine Massage, Jennifer Black LMT #7103 Albuquerque, NM

”

Jennifer Black has 12 years of experience in medical massage and specializes in massage for equestrians. She accepts Cigna, United Health Care and auto accident insurance.

Ginger Gaffney Horse Training

GENTLE, EFFECTIVE HORSEMANSHIP Lessons & Clinics

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All Breeds & Disciplines

”

I have helped endurance riders, ex-race horses, 3-day-event riders, dressage horses and riders and fox hunting horses as well as all types of western horses.

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HORSES FOR HEROES

Airman Dillon Johnson, a US Air Force veteran, gets acquainted with Jack. Horse-human relationships are the cornerstone of the Horses for Heroes Cowboy Up! program. Says Executive Director Rick Iannucci, "Horses immediately sense how the veteran is feeling. They know the difference between heartburn and heartache."

ARTICLE BY PEGGY CONGER, PHOTOS COURTESY HORSES FOR HEROES

ust south of Santa Fe on Hwy 14, there’s a nondescript turn-off -- into a world of hope. The drive leads to Crossed Arrows Ranch, home of Cowboy Up! Horses for Heroes New Mexico, a sanctuary where hundreds of post 9-11 military veterans have found understanding, new purpose and a whole host of tools to aid their transition to civilian life. Horses For Heroes is a unique horsemanship, wellness and skill-set restructuring program that works with veterans’ experiences to help them forge their path in civilian life. 18 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

It’s free to participating veterans and active military, who take part in all aspects of ranch life, from feeding and grooming to learning to ride to doing cattle work on program partner ranches across New Mexico. Horses For Heroes is helmed by Rick Iannucci, a Special Forces veteran and retired U.S. Marshal, and his wife, Nancy De Santis, a certified equine gestalt coach and creator of a life coaching program tailored especially for veterans: Wisdom Way for Warriors. The ranch is operated with an entirely

to go beyond just the recreational stuff people were doing,” Rick explains. Instead veterans are taught real ranch skills, in ways that utilize the training that helped them survive when they were deployed and help modify the memories of trauma they may have. Horses For Heroes uses that ranch experience to give veterans a “spiritual, emotional and psychological Leatherman, a sort of mental multipurpose tool that they can use to navigate life after they leave,” Rick says.

Cowboy life akin to military life

The program intentionally uses analogies between the military and the cowboy life. Cowboying, with its set of specific skills, sense of mission and demanding work ethic, is not far removed from the demands of military life, they point out. Instead of asking veterans to abandon the training that was vital during their service, Horses For Heroes helps them reframe those skills. Rick often uses military terms to help veterans understand a ranch work task, he says. A cattle gather, for example, employs the same tactical skills that a military reconnaissance mission would. Rechanneling those skills honors them, instead of discounting them as veterans are often asked to do in civilian life, he says.

volunteer staff of veterans, helping veterans.

Horses as a bridge

Both lifelong horse people, Rick and Nancy believe that working with horses is healing in itself for veterans, because horses require being in the present moment. “Our Native American veterans say horses are a bridge between the physical and spiritual world,” Rick says. But Horses For Heroes is specifically not an equine therapy program. “We wanted

But cowboy skills are only part of the picture. Horses For Heroes also focuses on giving veterans many tools to deal with the after-effects of combat trauma. “Their whole life was living at the pointy end of the spear,” Nancy says. What helped them survive in that environment -- hyper-reactivity, for example -- emanates from the limbic system, the part of the brain involved with survival. Active duty habituates many soldiers to remain in that mindset. Horses For Heroes offers participants ways to get out of that reactionary head space while reaffirming how valuable it was to them in military life.

Focusing on the brain

The idea that much of their distress is due to brain physiology is usually brand-new to veterans, even those with diagnoses of post-traumatic stress syndrome, and also immensely relieving to them, Nancy says: “They’ll say, ’You

mean it’s just the way my brain has been working?’” There’s a focus on reframing other experiences as well. “Someone will call me and say, “I got so overwhelmed in traffic I had to pull over.’ But instead of focusing on the panic attack as a symptom of something bad, I will say, ‘You pulled over. Look at how well you were taking care of yourself.’” (The couple stays in touch by email and phone with veterans who have been through the program.) Good nutrition is also part of the program’s healing process and healthy meals are prepared and eaten communally daily. “A lot of these guys will show up with a pack of Marlboros, a can of Red Bull and a bag of Doritos,” Rick jokes. “I have to tell them those aren’t in any of our food groups.”

Healing the soul wound

Nancy and Rick have coined their own term for the distress many veterans experience: “post traumatic spiritual dissonance.” They say many veterans they encounter have a “soul wound" from their military experience. This spiritual wound to the warrior has been “known about for eons,” Rick says. “In the Civil War, they called it soldier’s heart.” Acknowledging and addressing that spirit wound is a big part of the program, so much so that Rick returned to seminary and became an ordained minister. Rick, with veteran volunteers, recently built a chapel on the property. “We really were wrestling with the question, ‘How do we recalibrate a soul?’” Rick says. Both the chapel and the program are inter-faith and inter-denominational. In fact, just a stroll from the chapel stands a talking stick -- used in Native American spiritual traditions -- decorated with the names of the fallen from a Marine Corps company that recently visited the ranch.

Serenity abounds

Veterans stay in a bunkhouse on the property. Resident sessions are offered from April through November and groups are small, limited to four veterans. Sessions for veterans and active military from the area run throughout the year. The bunkhouse is spare and serene, with a deep porch for hanging out after the work day. A memorial for Gold Star families can

"There is no other horse program for veterans in New Mexico that is total immersion," says Rick. Participants come away from the program with much more than horsemanship skills. They learn yoga, how to work as a team to handle cattle, how to connect with others. "We feed them, house them, give them spiritual and emotional support, exercise and nutritious food. We will even marry them in our chapel." be found on one wall; on the other side of the bunkhouse, there’s a pond whose splashing fountain is designed to give visitors relief from tinnitus, ringing in the ears, a common ailment for active duty veterans.

Learning to breathe again

In October, Army Captain Jim Johnson was in residence. He was a machine gunner who did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He said sometimes after 12 hours on duty, he had to be hoisted out of the gunner hatch, unable to walk. It was a line of duty that had particular repercussions: At a wedding once, his buddy asked him to stop looking around the room “like everybody’s a target.” Jim was raised riding, and he says reconnecting with horses and the ranching life at Horses For Heroes has been life-renewing. “I learned how to breathe again,” he says. “I learned how to center myself. This is a good place.” “We armor them up but we forget to de-amor them,” Rick Iannucci says of post 9-11 veterans, who have experienced some of the longest deployments in U.S. military history. His program does that de-armoring, and it has been praised by veterans and those who treat them. An Army Sgt. Major returning from Afghanistan says this: “I know that my heart and soul will ever carry scars and signs of my combat tours, but I now know that there’s no need to pick at the scab any longer to feel alive. I feel less fragmented (like a Rubik’s cube that has been solved, where all the pieces fit together again), and I can recall my combat memories without the same intensity as before, because my New Mexico memories are still fresh and tangible."

PHOTO BY BIANCA SHANNON PHOTO BY SHAWN MURPHY

HOW YOU CAN HELP Cash: This all-volunteer program runs completely on donations. To donate, visit horsesforheroes.org and click on the donate button. Contributions: If you would like to give in other ways, here are some things Horses for Heroes would love to receive: • Gift cards from grocery stores • Fuel cards to get veterans to and from ranches and to the ranch itself • Thumb drives (Nancy sends all participants home with videos

of their ranch experience and training materials on thumb drives.) You can mail gifts to the ranch at: Horses For Heroes - New Mexico, Inc., PO Box 1882, Santa Fe, NM 87504. If you want to donate toward the care of the program’s horses, a cash donation is the best way to do that. Rick says the ranch really can’t use donated feed or tack and is not currently in search of donated horses.

Horse Around NM Associate Editor Peggy Conger is a writer, editor, blogger and trail rider. She can be reached at p_conger@yahoo.com

raq War veteran Jeremy Svejcar’s Charlie Five provides free horses for therapy groups.

Lifelong horse lovers already know that once a horse gets a hold of your soul, it’s almost as if the rest of the world goes away. This healing power of interacting with horses is the foundation of equine therapy. But what goes into making a good therapy horse? Jeremy Svejcar, founder of Charlie Five — a nonprofit organization that provides horses for equine therapy organizations — knows. An Iraq War veteran, Svejcar participated in an equine therapy program in 2016 that fundamentally changed his life after combat. He was moved to pay it forward by starting Charlie Five, which trains and supplies horses to equine therapy programs free of charge.

How he does it

Svejar says the secret to finding and training therapy horses is simple, and the fundamentals remain the same with any horse in his training program. Basically, it comes down to, “Consistency, consistency, consistency. Repetition, repetition, repetition.” Charlie Five looks for younger horses with a gentle disposition. The best horses for any therapy

ARTICLE BY ROSE GARCIA, program will stand PHOTO COURTESY CHARLIE FIVE quietly and have Trainer/veteran Jeremy Svejcar says a horse trained for a veteran's good confirmation. Svejcar therapy program is different than one for a regular horse therapy implements an evaluation program. "Veterans' needs are different. They need to continue to grow period to learn the and be challenged." He says he trains the horses to help veterans move idiosyncrasies of the horse forward with their horsemanship abilities. "That's where healing occurs." and see how reactive they are noises, situations, and objects to a new environment. it responds.” such as tarps, opening and closing umbrellas, and even “In many cases, we can take a The goal: A horse that is light running chainsaws. The more horse that is reactionary and to the touch and moves off of the horse interacts with these teach it not to be,” he says. minimum pressure. items, the calmer they will be “The key is exposure.” when something out of the ordinary crosses their path in “We think of horse training as Moving the horse forward step by step a therapy program. a ladder and we have multiple The first technique Svejcar ladders: ladder of ability, employs is solid ground work The process is designed to ladder of severity, ladder of in the round pen. “This tool ensure that the horses leave intensity, and so on,” he says. makes the horses move their Charlie Five “cool, calm, quiet, “We use pressure and release feet,” he says. “You get a good soft, supple and flexible.” to achieve each rung in the idea of where they’re at and ladder. Most of us didn’t go it establishes the trainer’s It’s not only humans who to kindergarten knowing how place in the relationship. I benefit from equine therapy. to do calculus. We started set myself at the top of their The horses benefit, too, with addition and moved up Svejcar says: “If you give a the ladder. As things got more pecking order in the herd by doing this.” horse a job and something difficult, our training became to do, it will occupy its time. more intense. And as we got Having a horse move their Wild horses work all day to bad grades, mom would apply feet makes them burn calories. find food and water to occupy more pressure.” Their natural instinct is their time. If we occupy these not to burn calories and horses’ time, it will give them Using that analogy, he says, they learn to respond to the purpose and a healthier life.” “helps us to understand why trainer’s demands because we do what we do, but the they want to burn as few If you’d like to learn more application is a bit different. calories as possible. “It’s not about Jeremy Svejcar, or We apply pressure to a horse see a wish list of what the to get it to do what we want it anthropomorphic. Horses are horses. People are people. You organization needs, visit to do and reward the slightest have to apply principles from a charliefive.org. Their biggest effort by releasing the horses’ perspective,” he says. need is money to buy hay, but pressure. We do this within a other items are listed that will ladder of severity, meaning if The second technique exposes be greatly appreciated. the horse doesn’t respond, we amp up the pressure used until the horse to a wide array of www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

head Horse fun doesn't have to stop just because it's winter... BY CECILIA KAYANO

In New Mexico, the winter months do not have to mean a hiatus to your horse adventures. Head south! There are plenty of trails and horse activities to be had near our southern border. Areas near Las Cruces and Roswell often have temperatures about 15 degrees warmer than northern cities like Santa Fe. In December and January, these areas often reach the mid-50s or higher. There is seldom any precipitation. So bring some sunscreen, a palm cowboy hat, and plenty of water, and head south for some sun-drenched winter riding.

LuAnne Santiago and Susan Guile, both from El Paso, Texas, enjoy riding in the public lands near Las Cruces.

22 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

Riding White Sands National Monument is a must for every New Mexican trail rider. www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 AROUND Dress appropriately, however. You will be photographed by the many| HORSE out-of-state, outof-country tourists. (Photo by Evalyn Bemis.)

LAKES, ROPING, RIVER & DUNES Bottomless Lakes State Park near Roswell

Although there are no established horse trails on this 1400-acre park near Roswell, the cross-country riding is plentiful. At only 3500 feet above sea level, the temps here are often warmer than even the Rio Grande Valley near Albuquerque. The name Bottomless Lakes was inspired by the nine, small, deep lakes (some over 90 feet) on an eastern escarpment of the Pecos River valley. These lakes make for interesting sight-seeing aboard your horse. You can even ride on the upper edge of the escarpment and peek down on the lakes. But avoid the edge above Lea Lake, as there has been a collapsing of the limestone. Camping Dry camping with horses is allowed near the lower lakes, and also in the southern part of the Lea Lake Campground. In the lower lakes camping area, site number 5 is charming and secluded, nestled in a small canyon. Highlining here is difficult, so high-ties or panels would be best. Sites number 2, 3 and 4 have large trees. All have water nearby, with clean, covered picnic table areas. The Lea Lake horse camping sites offer electricity and water. There are no trees for highlining, but they are level and good for panel corrals. Make sure you call the ranger prior to going, 575-624-6058. When you depart the park, be sure to pick up your manure from your campsite, and move it off roads and areas frequented by hikers.

follow the road that encircles the park (about 8 miles) there is plenty of crosscountry riding. You can either stay close to the road, or stay west near the top of the escarpment. There is, however, one section of the road on the northern section near Lazy Lagoon that has blind corners and no shoulder so avoid this. Instead drop down to the west side of Lazy Lagoon. Note that the white sandy banks of the lagoon may look inviting, but stay off them. These are areas of crust that may give way to deep mud. You can also ride to the west of the visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s center. Head south until you join the Wetlands Hiking Trail. Cross the road, and join up with the Bluff Trail to get back to your camp. Remember to dismount and kick any manure off this groomed trail. This is a 4.5 mile loop.

Las Cruces Horse Motel, Rio Grande River

This is large, meticulously-kept horse boarding facility owned by a roping-crazy businessman, Shannon Killingsworth. Where to ride Every evening you can watch him and You can ride most areas of the park, friends practice roping. The RV/camping except near Lake Lea, and up to the sites are narrow, but electric and water shores of the circular lakes. If you is available, and you are right next to the 24 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

Bottomless Lake s State Park is one of the most horse-friendly of the NM state parks. There are several sites for horse camping, plus plenty of land. for cross-country riding. The lakes are diverse and gorgeous, and are a rare find in the high desert. Make sure you contact the ranger before yo u go, especially if the weather is warm. Flies and mosquitoes also appreciate Bottomless Lakes. (Photo by Cecilia Kayano.)

160 x 280 arena and near your horses. The wash rack allows you to give your horse a pleasant warm-weather-in-thewinter bath. Roping lessons Shannon is a member of the New Mexico Businessmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Team Roping Association, a group of professionals who enjoy roping on their off-work hours. The nonprofit association raises and donates money to people in need. Most recently the association gave money to a Las Cruces child with cancer. Shannon wants to share his love of roping, and will provide a weekend roping clinic for you and your friends. Requirements are a rope-gentle horse and the desire to learn this fun discipline. Call Shannon at 575-644-3518 or visit lascruceshorsemotel.com. Southern Rio Grande From Las Cruces Horse Motel, you can ride for five minutes and be on the banks of the Rio Grande. The first half mile of the trail along the river is spectacular, well-groomed and rimmed by meadows and a few tall trees. It is a walking/biking trail, so ride off to the sides. It ends too

Las Cruces Horse Motel is a perfect place to get some winter-time warmth and learn a new skill. Owner Shannon Killingsworth (left) will teach you and your friends how to rope. Pictured here he is practicing with Lucas McKenzie. After your roping lesson, you can go on a quiet ride along the southern Rio Grande. (Photo by Cecilia Kayano.) help you not worry about getting lost, as arena with great footing which makes soon, but adventure begins. A sandy twoyou will know you can easily return, or for a fun place to tune up your horse. track continues for miles heading south. complete the 5-mile loop. Make sure you have documents showing You can ride on the flats near the river a recent negative Coggins test. Call the or on the rather rocky dike road. If you The dunes can be steep, but there are Copper Penny Ranch, 575-439-0276. ride there, you will get peeks into the always lesser slopes that are easy for magnificent pecan orchards and mansions which continue for miles. In five miles you horses to navigate. On the slopes the sand Tuli Horse Hotel is located in Tularosa, can be slippery. But the footing is more and offers large pipe-rail corrals, hookups will come to the Mesilla Diversion Dam. solid on the flat valleys or the ridge tops, and riding in a large outdoor arena and This is a good place to have lunch and which make for the perfect place to trot fields. 575-921-1105. turn around, or continue riding south to or canter. It takes horses a few minutes your heart’s content, but make sure you to understand the nature of the sand, but If you are coming from the north and have your passport in your saddlebag, as once they get it, they seem to move with a want to camp in a more remote setting, you are just 40 miles from the Mexican sort of unencumbered joy. try Three Rivers Campground (US border here. Forest Service) located south and east The best time to be there is in the of Carrizozo and 1.5 hours from White White Sands National morning or later afternoon. The temps Sands. It provides pipe rail corrals, water, Monument are cooler, and the light makes for toilets, and nice camping spots. You No article about warmer weather rides spectacular photos. The park closes at can ride from the campground through would be complete without a mention dusk, and a ranger makes a pre-closing the western foothills of the White of New Mexico’s sand-dune destination: announcement by megaphone. The park Mountains. The Three Rivers Trailhead White Sands National Monument near number is 575-479-6124. will take you east to the crest trail of the Alamagordo. The park is made up of White Mountains, but check its condition 275 square miles of gypsum sand dunes, WHERE TO STAY before you try it. It may be dangerous for the world’s largest of its kind. It’s a There are two horse motels within 30 horses. 575-434-7200. unique, horse-friendly place to ride. minutes of the park. Copper Penny Cecilia Kayano is the editor of Horse There’s a dedicated horse parking area, Ranch in Alamagordo offers large pipeAround New Mexico magazine. She and a marked trail, the Alkali Flats Trail. rail corrals and camping with or without owns two gaited horses, and enjoys trail Although no horses are allowed on this hookups. There is also a feed and tack riding and horse camping. Reach her at trail, you can follow the red markers but store on site. There is a large outdoor HorseNewMexico@gmail.com ride off to the sides. The markers will 25 www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

WATCH& LEARN

Watching a horse, then acting (and thinking) like one can aid in training

f we watch what horses do together, we can learn a lot about how to interact with them ourselves. Horses need safety, food, water, shelter, space and companionship of other equines. When they don’t have these, their health and well-being will suffer. Companionship with humans is an added plus to their social structure, especially if we can get in a horse mindset. Working within the framework of their natural behaviors will pay off enormously when considering what we ask for from them. Here are some horse behaviors that we can use in our work with them:

Moving each other. Horses move each other in the herd all day long. You don’t see this as much with domestic horses who only have limited turnout with other horses, but they still do it. Moving each other is essential: a part of their individual health but it is also a part of the health of the herd, in seeking safety, food, water and shelter. Movement also satisfies the need to experience a variety of grasses and seeds in the diet (in a natural setting). Observe what kind of pace horses maintain with each other at liberty, what amount of pressure one takes

BY SUSAN SMITH to move another horse and try moving horses at the same tempo. A great number of behavioral problems can be solved by moving a horse quietly and stopping to give them space. These include: nipping, pushing, not wanting to be haltered, etc.

Mutual grooming. Horses groom each other, rubbing on each other’s itchy spots. This kind of communication is only available with horses living together. They can do a small amount of this over the fence, but not full body massage! Sometimes they want to rub on you. You can use light pressure or massage sore areas to suggest you’d prefer that to being head butted or rubbed on too hard. Grooming also satisfies some of these needs in stabled horses.

Horses don’t generally hang onto fear. They will remember someone who has been abusive to them, however. Abusive and traumatic situations involving humans create horses who can’t let go of fears. But under normal conditions, they drop fear and return to calm very quickly. We want to be more like them in this respect. Hanging onto our fears, memories, grudges, is not helpful with horses. When

Grooming is one of many horse behaviors which we can observe, learn from, and become better horsemen. (Photo by Susan Smith.) something happens on the trail – a couple of bicyclists round the corner in front of you at high speed, birds flush out of the trees, the horse may spook but can quickly regain composure. Letting go of our own fear when this happens is important, rather than rehashing it endlessly in our minds. 26 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

4. Pecking order. Watch how the lead

Horses are always establishing and re-establishing pecking order. This is often done by moving other horses from behind. Horse owners can learn from this, and improve their horse leadership skills. Do as a horse does, and move your horse from behind or from the side. horse will walk behind the other horses, give clear cues to your horse from the horse. And when one horse is corrected moving them along. Sometimes the horse side. by another horse, the one who corrects in front gets bitten on the behind. For this doesn’t question whether it was the right reason, even if you don’t have a dominant Use your energy to correct the horse, as thing to do like some humans might. The horse, don’t walk in front of her. It’s too horses do with each other. Watch how one one who was corrected accepts it and easy for her to herd you or run over on horse will feel the energy around another forgets about it. top of you. You’re giving up your position horse and will stand several feet away. Feel the bubble around the horse, how in the herd when you walk in front. Walk That horse has unlimited patience as far close you can get and how close another at the horse’s side. You can also maneuver as how long she will wait for the other horse can get while at liberty. Watch the much more easily in this position and can horse to move away from food or another

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ears and eyes – usually one or both ears cocked back indicate a listening mode, while of course, flattened ears indicate annoyance. Watch the ears and eyes and you’ll begin to know when something is about to happen. The eyes may narrow or become hardened if the horse is annoyed or just wants to lunge at another one. The eyes may grow large and round if she is really tuned in to something interesting or pleasurable. Use this understanding (which may change from day to day) to ask for a movement or correction, such as disengaging the hind, or asking for a step backward. But don’t keep persisting. Praise the horse for her efforts and move on to something else. If it isn’t perfect, still praise and move on to the next activity, so that everything remains positive.

Diffuse herd tension

There are some horses who don’t get along with another and perhaps one horse is picking on another one to the point of injuring them. It’s up to us to step in and figure out what might be causing it – and separate horses if necessary. Besides separating horses, I’ve seen some remarkable changes in herds by using

Know a horse's bubble, and respect it. Walk along the side of the horse, and watch how it carries its head, the softness of its eye, and the position of the ears. This pony is relaxed and paying attention. (Photo by Deanna Coleman.) some herd behaviors to cool tensions between horses. These include walking behind a lead horse to let her know that she, too, can be moved. Ponying can change the dynamics and allow a submissive horse being ponied to gain some relief from the lead horse. This can often translate to the herd, where the two horses may make the corrections in their relationships themselves.

Susan Smith teaches Equine Body Balance and Liberty Foundations workshops in Santa Fe, as well as around the U.S. She is an associate OrthoBionomy & Equine Ortho—Bionomy instructor, and practitioner of Equine Positional Release (EPR). For more information and events, visit www. susansmithsantafe.com or contact info@ susansmithsantafe.com 505-501-2478.

n Happy Holidays From All of Us At 4 Winds Equestrian Center “The Weather Outside May be Frightful But Our Indoor Arena is Delightful”

Four Corners Equine Rescue “Rescuing horses from perilous situations.”

Four Corners Equine Rescue, located in Aztec, NM, has been giving horses second chances for over 12 years. Please come visit us to see our herd of adoptable horses. Check out our website to ﬁnd out how you can make life better for horses by adopting, volunteering, sponsoring, or making a tax-deductible donation.

www.FourCornersEquineRescue.org

505-334-7220

Top Notch Equine Boarding Sevices in ABQ's East Mountains • Boarding: Stalls, Paddocks or Pasture  Trail Riding: Lots of trails on 360 acres with perimeter fence  Vacation Boarding: A few days or a few months  Recuperation Boarding: Pro Care for special needs horses  Clinics and Lessons: International and Local Trainers Year Round 4 Winds Equestrian Center 9031 Hwy 337 Estancia, NM 87016 (just 29 miles south of Tijeras, NM) 505-384-1831 www.4windsequestriancenter.com 4windsec@qwestoffice.net

You and Your Horse Can Work On This Winter ARTICLE BY ROELIFF ANNON PHOTOS BY GABRIELLA MARKS

ne of the great joys of owning a horse is being able to go out and experience the incredible outdoor opportunities the Southwest has to offer. Whether it’s riding out your back door and exploring the countryside and arroyos, or trailering to one of the many recreational trails available to us on our public lands, we have amazing riding here in New Mexico. But weather might sideline some of us from the trail, at least some of the time in the winter months. In this article, we’ll give you some exercises you can work on at home when you can’t get out on the trail. The benefit: When riding weather rolls around, you and your horse can safely and happily navigate your environment using the fundamental tools you have worked on.

Wintertime does not have to be time off for your horse. Use cold weather as an opportunity to slow things down and teach your horse how to be calmer on the trail.

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1. Mounting

When you are lackadaisical in the way you mount your horse at home, and you allow him to walk off in the middle of mounting, for example, once you are in a different environment, your horse’s movement may be accelerated, reflecting their state of mind and your state of mind. If, every time you ride, you can mount your horse from the ground or from a mounting block, a gate, or a truck tailgate at home, and your horse waits for you, then your chances of successfully getting on and having your horse wait for you afield go way up.

TOP When your horse stands quietly while and after you mount it makes for a safer start to your trail ride. RIGHT Another safe skill to hone is riding on a lose rein, at all gaits. BOTTOM Practice riding away from the herd or your friends. This skill might be needed on the trail.

Your horse must have good ground manners and stand unmoving while you mount. If, when you mount and put your foot in the stirrup, your horse starts moving, then remove your foot, walk your horse in a circle deliberately, and ask for a stop. Begin the mounting process again and repeat, until your horse will quietly wait for you. If you mount and your horse begins to walk off without your asking, walk him deliberately in a very small circle, stop him, dismount, and mount again. Only when your horse waits for your command to walk off will you start your ride. Do this exercise at your barn, a safe environment, before trying to do it in a new place.

2. Putting on a slicker

One thing I recommend is that you have complete confidence in putting on and riding with a raincoat. Imagine, for example, that your horse doesn’t stand still for you, and it’s about to rain. You hop off the horse, because if you put your raincoat on while mounted, he may spook. Then, if you try to get your raincoat on while your horse fidgets, you might get stepped on; meanwhile, the wind’s a-blowin’, the rain’s a-comin’, and your saddle is gettin’ wet! You finally get on, wet saddle and all, but your horse jumps when the slicker pops in the wind, and, well, you get the picture. If your horse is spooked by your raincoat, it can 30 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com be very dangerous. You can really help your horse

not be reactive using this exercise. Start by moving your horse from the ground one step in every direction with soft jaw and relaxed head and neck. Then ask your horse to lead up to and “parallel park” next to a mounting block, railroad tie, gate or whatever is handy. If you use a gate, make sure it is solid and stable. Always sit or stand on the hinge side so you don’t stress your gate’s hinges. Once you get your horse to sidle up to you and parallel park, you can introduce your slicker. Give emotional support to your horse by helping him maintain a soft jaw and relaxed head and neck. When you can “hang” your slicker above him and off of the opposite side that you are on, you are well on your way. If your horse is explosive or otherwise extremely reactive, please seek out professional help with this, as you or your horse can be injured. Also if proper technique and timing is not used in introducing such powerful stimuli as a slicker to your horse, you can make things worse.

3. Riding with a loose rein

Another key ingredient in the recipe for safe trail riding is the ability to walk, trot, and lope (canter) with a soft (or loose) rein. Having a tug of war with your horse is often a symptom of the lack of confidence your horse has in you. Your horse must be able to walk, trot, and canter without bracing on the bit and this is a good exercise to do at home. Start off at a walk in a medium-size circle. Can you maintain the circle and cadence of gait without constantly pulling and pushing your horse? Trust your horse to maintain what you want and correct or apply cues only when your horse is off track. Allow him to find the shape and cadence you are asking for, then leave him alone. Work your way up to a lope (canter), then eventually a slow gallop, all the while being aware of your environment, and don’t go faster than your circumstances dictate.

4. Riding away from the group

Another good off-season exercise is getting your horse to ride independently of the group. Let’s say your riding

Going through creeks, up and down hills, crossing bridges, and walking by scary objects are all exercises that will help your horse stay calm on the trail. companions have gone on ahead of you and your horse gets agitated and starts to react. You pull the reins and squeeze with your legs, because you’ve tightened up. In this scenario, your horse has no choice but to rear up, buck, or jig, because he is agitated, and his instincts take over. Getting him to ride independently of other horses and other stimuli, such as the trailer or barn, is an important fundamental. If your horse exhibits extreme behavior such as balking, rearing, or rushing home, you need to seek out professional help. That being said, a place to start working on this is at your barn or some other safe environment. Enlist a riding friend to help with this exercise. Ride 20-foot circles at a brisk walk or trot around that other horse and rider as they stand still. Go around three to five times, then direct your horse to leave the other horse, asking only enough to show the direction you want to go. If, after asking, your horse either stops or wants to turn back to the other horse and rider, allow him to go toward that horse, then go into your working gait and circle, say, five to ten times. Then again ask your horse to leave in a specific direction. Do this exercise until your horse willingly leaves. When he really loosens up and

freely moves away from the other horse, you are on the right track. This may take a while to get. The minute he moves away without turning back, you can stop and reward your horse.

4. Navigating obstacles

Your horse must be able to calmly navigate obstacles you may encounter on the trail. You can set up obstacles at your barn to practice on. To make sure your horse can cross obstacles on a soft rein, with a low, relaxed head carriage and a soft jaw, ask him to take one soft step at a time in all directions—forward, back, and to the side of the obstacle. Make sure your horse stays soft. When you get a good try, give him a little break—a few seconds. When your horse makes progress, take him for a little walk for a few minutes as a reward. Your goal is to prepare him to go across or through the obstacle. Set it up, then trust that he will find it.

Roeliff Annon helps horses and humans find true connection. Widely known for his work with feral horses, Roeliff also raises Spanish mustangs on his ranch in Corona, New Mexico. He works with all breeds of horses and all types of students, helping them learn to better communicate with each other. For information about Roeliff Annon clinics or individual classes, go to BeingwithHorses.us or call 505-690-0795.

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

ARENAS

G0T DIRT?

The Stanley Cyclone Arena is a new, covered venue for wintertime fun. Shough, trainer of reiners and cow horses says, “The Bosque Farms Arena is a great place to school young horses.” For more information: Nancy Cox at (505) 869-6610. Address: 1040 Arena Rd Bosque Farms.

Topform, Corrales

The Topform Arena is located in the heart of Corrales and is part of the Corrales Recreation Center. If you are hankering for a warm-up arena ride, then a peaceful wintertime trail ride, make Topform Arena your go-to. The arena is free to the public.

Frequent riders and dedicated supporters of the Topform Arena are CHAMP – Corrales Horse BY KATY LENTE and Mule People. CHAMP conducts various clinics and happenings of interest to all riders.

f the weather on the trail is frightful, a wintertime arena ride might prove delightful. There are numerous arenariding options in the Albuquerque, Santa Fe and East Mountains areas that are open to the public. Here are a few: Bosque Farms

South of Albuquerque is an arena with plenty of room for loping. The Bosque Farms Arena is managed by the Bosque Farms Rodeo Association, has onsite staff, hosts competitive events, and is open to the public for schooling or exercising. You can ride in the huge rodeo arena or the practice arena for only $10, with additional riders in your group costing $5. The footing is a luscious, deep, chocolaty fluff–perfect for a sliding stop. The Bosque Farms Arena is known for hosting all sorts of equine events. Chance

For more information: Contact Lynn Siverts or Brynn Cole at (505) 899-8900 to make sure the arena is available. Sometimes it hosts horse or other critter events (such as herding trials for dogs, horse clinics, etc.) Address: 500 Jones Rd, Corrales.

Stanley Cyclone Arena

This is a new and fantastic indoor arena made possible by Santa Fe County, one hour from Albuquerque and 45 minutes from Santa Fe. The 170’ by 240’ arena has perfect footing so you can ride at any speed. It’s open every day, 8-5 PM. Make sure you call ahead because it may be hosting roping or barrel racing events. There’s a huge parking lot with plenty of room to maneuver your rig, restrooms and water. The cost is $5 per horse for four hours of use. Reservations must be made at least two days prior.

For more information: Call 505-681-2645. Address: 22 W. Kinsell Ave., Stanley 32 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

Rockin’ Horse Ranch, Stanley

This quality, immaculate indoor arena is available for individual use by appointment. It is located on spacious grounds, with views of cross-fenced pastures housing horses and foals. Rockin’ Horse Ranch often hosts scorching hot barrel races. “Hospitality, great ground, and indoor stalls make this place a great facility,” says Double Diamond’s Shelley Johnson, who sets the cloverleaf aflame here regularly. “Patty and Lonnie (the owners) are the best,” adds Johnson. “They always go out of their way to make us comfortable.” Cost to ride in the arena is per hour, $40 without lights, $50 with lights, one or more riders, so bring your friends. Make sure to call before you go. For more information: Patty Wright, 505832-6619. Address: 28 Co Rd 6A, Stanley.

Edgewood Arena

This facility has something for everyone: a roomy arena, round pen, obstacle course, half mile trail, water, handicap mounting structure, restroom, and ample parking. Plus, it is free to use. Even though the arena is not the largest, there is plenty of room for cantering or running a barrel pattern. It’s a good place to warm up your horse, then amble along the juniper and pinon lined trail. “The best part about it is that there is rarely anyone there, especially during the week,” says Celia Cook. So bring your friends and put this fabulous, free horse facility to good use. Make sure you clean up after your horse by depositing manure in the receptacle. Also if a NM Horse and Mule Association member happens to be riding there, be sure to thank them. They are responsible for many of the perks, including the water trough. For more information: 505-286-4518. Address: 91 W. Frontage Rd, Edgewood.

Katy Lente is a long time resident of central New Mexico and has ridden and trained a variety of light breeds. She currently exhibits her pony in amateur Pinto classes. Lente has been published in New Mexico Magazine, and was a WILLA finalist for her 2016 young adult novel, My Magic Cowboy.

HORSE SERVICES DIRECTORY

Listed here are horse-related services provided by the Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 issue advertisers. They are experts in their fields. Many of the business owners are also horse owners and enthusiasts. They are the reason Horse Around New Mexico magazine exists and why the magazine is growing. If you enjoy this free publication, please show your support by supporting our advertisers. ART Sugar Moon Studios, page 37

FEED Lakin Pellets, page 2

BARNS/BUILDINGS Ironhorse Pipe & Steel, page 11 Morton Buildings, page 8

NATURAL PRODUCTS Pharm-Aloe, page 35 HORSES FOR SALE Rocky Mountain Horses, page 5

BOOKS/DVDs Conformation Balancing, page 11 MASSAGE Medicine Massage, page 17 BOARDING 4 Winds Equestrian Center, REAL ESTATE page 28 Realty One, page 17 Linda Vista Stables, page 37 Rōni Merbler, page 10 Loal Tucker Horsemanship, Temple Daniels, page 7 page 33 The Farm, Ranch & Equestrian Brand at Santa Fe Properties, EVENTS page 39 The Horse Shelter’s Eq-Wine Dinner, page 37 RESCUE/ADOPTION Four Corners Equine Rescue, page 28

SADDLES Mortenson Silver & Saddles, page 11 SPECIALTY SERVICES Albuquerque Pet Memorial Service, page 10 TACK AND FEED STORES Horsemen’s, page 17 Miller’s Feed, page 9 Paul’s Veterinary Supply, page 5 Taos Tack and Pet Supply, page 9 Village Mercantile, page 6

VEHICLE/TRAILERS American Diesel Service, page 39 Hal Burns Truck & Equipment, page 5 Sandia Trailer Sales and Service, page 40 VETERINARIAN Santa Sophia Equine, page 9 Western Trails, page 7 WESTERN WEAR & MORE Dan’s Boots & Saddles, page 8

TRAINING Ginger Gaffney, page 17 Katrin Silva, page 37 Lynn Clifford, The Ride of Your Life, page 11 Susan Smith, page 6

LOAL TUCKER HORSEMANSHIP HORSE BOARDING LAMY, NM

BOARDING Located in Lamy, Main Barn $550.00 15 minutes from Santa Fe Outdoor 5 Stall Barn $500.00

Pasture Board $425.00 Large facility just minutes from Eldorado and the Galisteo

Basin Preserve. Beautiful rural, quiet setting. Safe and Whether you board in the main barn or outdoor barn, you have access to the large secure for horses and owners. Facilities include: indoor arena and outdoor riding arena, round pen, indoor hot/cold wash rack, large individual locking tack lockers, ample horse trailer parking and boarder's  Colorado grass hay  Indoor arena lounge with restroom. The property is on 40 acres and has trail riding on property.  On and off property trails  Outdoor arena We feed top quality Colorado grass hay or a mix hay and 3 feedings per day. Our  Indoor wash rack  Round pen main barn has automatic Nelson waterers and our 5 stall has fresh water troughs.  Tack lockers  Stalls inside barn Our stalls & runs are cleaned daily. Only 5 minutes away from the Galisteo Basin.  Large runs  Boarders’ lounge Call 505-466-3961 or e-mail loal@loaltucker.com  Ample trailer parking  Daily pen cleaning CALL US TODAY FOR A TOUR!

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www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

Buy custom over mass-produced name brands. Name brands usually only apply to factory production saddles. There are many custom makers out there, craftsmen who make better quality saddles than most of the name brand makers. For example, a used roping saddle made by Mike Schultz of South Dakota is hands down a better-quality saddle than a Circle Y, or Colorado Saddlery.

Buy US or Europe made. I have never seen a Western saddle made outside the USA that was worth a damn. As a matter of fact, they are, for the most part, pretty sorry. The best English saddles are made in England: County, Crosby, Balance, etc. There are many good English and dressage saddles made in Europe. So choose a used Western made in the US, and a used English made in Europe.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY THOMAS GARCIA

Avoid vintage. Saddle making has changed because we have better materials, tools, and components (Blevins and buckles verses lace up stirrup adjustment), so it is best to shop for a more recently made saddle. Most importantly horses have changed. Saddles made in the 30s-40s often will not fit most modern horses. Horses are bigger today as are most people. Even back in the day, most vintage saddles did not fit horses, hence many had white spots on the withers. If you like the vintage look, keep an eye out for a recently made used custom saddle with the vintage look. They are hard to find, so you just might have to save up your money and buy new.

Buying Used 4.

’ve been using my grandpa’s saddle,” says George, “But I think it doesn’t fit my horse. Do you have a wedge pad?” George! You are six inches taller and forty pounds heavier than your grandpa and you’re riding a muscular quarter horse when your grandpa rode a half thoroughbred mule! How can his saddle possibly fit both of you?

What George really needs is not a wedge pad, but a quality saddle that fits both him and his horse. But maybe George cannot afford a custombuilt brand-new saddle. Or maybe, given a choice, he would prefer to have a great used saddle, one that is broken in. Good choice. I would rather see someone buy a good quality used saddle than a poor quality new saddle. Here are some tips on buying that good quality used saddle. 34 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

Spend as much money as you can. Price is usually a good indicator of quality. Yes, bargains can be had, but most of the time a bargain price indicates a poorer-quality product.

Buy from a reputable dealer/store who will help you select the best saddle for you and your horse. Website bargains are many times not. A used saddle purchased online could be very expensive to ship, not fit you or your horse, then difficult or costly to return. Plus, it feels good to support our local New Mexico businesses.

LEFT: This McCall Coltstarter is an example of a used, custom-made saddle. If you shop wisely, you can find one in excellent shape, like the one pictured. Even though such a used custom saddle might not be significantly cheaper than a new one, it is worth the price. Saddles like these hold their value over time and use.

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TOP RIGHT: If you are looking for an English saddle, stick to those made in Europe. This Balance saddle is made in England and is top quality. Because it is used, it sells for half the price of new, but you still get all the quality.

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BOTTOM RIGHT: This is a vintage Western Saddle Company saddle, 80 years old but in almost-mint condition. Like most vintage saddles, it is small (14-inch seat) and narrow. Collectors often look for saddles like this, but if you intend to ride in it, testing for fit is a must.

Make sure the saddle fits both you and your horse, and suits the intended discipline. Bring your horse to the store, saddle up, and take it for a test ride. Again, if you are buying from a trusted store, the staff can help you know that the saddle fits. The time spent trailering your horse to the store will save you future time (returning the saddle), and more importantly help you avoid soring your horse and/or you.

Examine the saddle’s condition prior to purchasing. Check the tree to make sure it is solid and not broken or cracked. Flex it, and if you feel any give, do not buy. Also check the fleece, buckles, cinch, latigos, off billets, saddle strings, stirrups. Check all leather for dryness or cracking. Check all hardware for rust, or areas of wear. Repairing or replacing worn out components can add hundreds of dollars to the initial cost of the saddle.

Buy with a trial period. Most stores selling used saddles offer some type of trial period on used, if you leave a credit card number.

Thomas Garcia owns Spanish Creek Performance Horses and Taos Tack & Pet Supply. He can be reached at 575-737-9798.

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www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

SHEATH CLEANING "nasty but necessary" or uneeded? Spoiler Alert! This article contains direct medical and anatomical language and photos for educational purposes.

BY STACIE G. BOSWELL, DVM, DACVS

Maybe someone at your barn or stable mentioned that you should get your horse’s sheath cleaned. Maybe you have noticed an odd sound when your gelding canters and your neighbor said that was a sheath problem. You might have wondered, “Wild horses don’t get their sheaths cleaned. Is it really needed?” Why is sheath cleaning needed? The sheath is the layer of skin and folded tissue into which the horse’s penis is retracted. A buildup of smegma occurs within the sheath, around the shaft of the penis, and within the urethral fossae. Stallions used for breeding, or stallions in the wild, do not seem to have this buildup. Since geldings do not have any natural loss of smegma, it can build up. Many veterinary texts say smegma has carcinogenic properties. It also builds up within the urethral fossae, forming a hard “bean” that can impede urine flow. For these reasons, many horse owners make annual sheath cleaning part of routine care. Some clean sheaths on their own horses, and (much to my surprise) there are also people that advertise nonsedated sheath cleaning as a service. Some horses may allow cleaning without sedation. If cleaning is done, the bean should be removed as well. For many horses, removal of the bean will require sedation. Since dental floats also require sedation, the two procedures are often done in one session. How is the sheath cleaned? Safety of the handler is the number one priority! The horse should be restrained, and a second person should be present. The person doing the cleaning should stand near the horse’s side, and out of kicking range. If the horse is kicking or swishing his tail as a warning, take heed! The person doing the cleaning should wear gloves. The horse should either be sedated or relaxed enough that the

entire penis and all folds of tissue are extended. Note anything that looks abnormal. Some abnormalities may not be discernible until after cleaning. Warm water and a mild cleaner should be used. Sheath cleaners have a degreasing agent to dissolve the waxy smegma. Excalibur sheath cleaner is the most common. Perfume-free, dyefree baby shampoo or dish soap can be substituted. All folds of tissue should be cleaned. Roll cotton, paper towels, or clean washcloths can be used to help remove debris from the tissue. The bean(s) within the urethral fossae should be removed. After cleaning, all cleaning agents should be rinsed away with warm water. If soap is used, the rinsing process must be thorough to avoid any irritation from residue. Medical problems that may be noted Make sure you tell your vet if you noted any abnormalities. Tumors are the most common medical issue for the sheath and penis. A tumor may manifest as a swollen sheath, or as a distinct mass. Certain color horses, such as gray or other light colors, are more prone to cancers in this area. Paint or pinto horses, appaloosas, and those with the cream gene (palominos, buckskins, etc.) are also at higher risk. Removal of tumors and yearly examinations can often keep cancer at bay. Habronema are a type of stomach worm that can infect horses. As part of the life cycle, larvae are carried by flies. If the fly lays the eggs in the moist tissue at the tip of the urethra, it causes the tissue to become very reactive and bleed. Since the sore appears similar to a tumor, sometimes veterinarians send a sample of tissue away to a pathologist to confirm the diagnosis. Also, these sores are very painful and a steroid shot may help relieve discomfort. What does the medical evidence say? Beware of cleaning too frequently.

This disrupts the healthy population of bacteria in the sheath. One study involved washing the sheath of each horse three times, with three weeks in between washings, and culturing the bacteria in a laboratory. The authors concluded that cleaning a horse’s sheath causes an increase Arrows show beans in the of bacteria, is urethral fossae. The beans unnecessary should be removed with and removes every sheath cleaning. important antibacterial proteins from the sheath. If you believe the “misinformation highway,” you will find many scary articles about sheath cleaning. The American Association of Equine Practitioners does not recommend cleaning every horse every year. There is variation in how large a bean will get in a year. Also there is zero documentation that a bean has ever completely restricted urine flow in a horse. Bottom line: Any discomfort, abnormalities, and at-risk individuals (such as those light-colored, tumor-prone animals) should be evaluated annually. And remember: Aggressive over-cleaning is harmful.

Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS is a board-certified large animal surgeon. She can be reached at stacieboswell@gmail. com. She is based in Ruidoso, NM at Franklin Veterinary Clinic.

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OPTIONS

PREPARING FOR GOODBYE

The most expensive option, but a choice for increasingly more horse owners, is cremation. The cost ranges from $450 -$1,100 depending on the type of service through APMS. But the benefit is that the horse’s body is transported in a respectful and dignified manner. After cremation, the amount of remains the owner gets will vary based on the type of cremation and the size of the horse, from about 8 pounds to 50 pounds. The owner can spread the ashes over special trails, bury them at home, or keep them in an honored place.

ARTICLE BY MARIE ANTHONY, PHOTO BY EVALYN BEMIS

How to be prepared

gentle, respectful transportation and o one wants to think about the cremation of horses and other companion day when our beloved equine animals. companion will leave us. But as we enter the winter months, and What are the options? When a horse dies, removal of the especially if we have an older remains can be an immediate need. fragile horse, it is wise to know Burying on your property is an option our options. if you have the acreage and live in a David Gifford, owner of Albuquerque Pet Memorial Service (APMS), says he sees a distinct rise in the number of horse deaths during the changes of the seasons and during the full moon phase. There also tends to be a spike in deaths during extreme changing weather or harsh storms. David explains, “Sometimes, it’s like a horse makes the decision. He doesn’t want to go through another winter, so he begins to shut down and just stops eating,” He and his wife Kelly, both horse owners, operate APMS, which offers

are some of the lowest cost options. The downside is that loading a horse’s body onto a trailer, possibly with other dead livestock, can be a heart-wrenching sight, especially for owners who have never witnessed this before. Expect to pay about $250.

municipality that allows it. It is not uncommon for horse owners to choose this option, because the beloved animal’s remains are nearby, and costs are minimal. Some people also ask friends with acreage if their horse can be buried there. But keep in mind this requires getting the horse there, which can mean either trailering a horse in distress or hauling the body after the horse is deceased. Sending the body for rendering or disposal is another option. There are companies that will pick up the horse for rendering, or take it to a landfill. These

38 HORSE AROUND | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | www.horsearoundnm.com

If you need more information, talk to your veterinarian, think about which option is best for you, then call the service of your choice to get more information. Whatever method you choose, having a plan will help everyone involved to be prepared. If you know how you are going to handle your horse’s remains when the time comes, you can be calm and focused on being there for your special friend at the end of his life. That said, losing a beloved horse will be tough. The Giffords own two Icelandic horses, and can sympathize with anyone who loses a horse. Says David, “Whenever I pick up a horse, it’s difficult for me to not get emotional about it. I realize how lucky we are to have two great horses, our awesome equine companions.”

Thank you David Gifford for contributing to this article. He operates Albuquerque Pet Memorial Service, our state’s only horse cremation service, and can be reached at: 505-550-4793.

YOUR HORSE IS READY TO GO! IS YOUR TRUCK READY TO GO?

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The Farm, Ranch & Equestrian Brand at Santa Fe Properties is the real estate group specializing in horse properties, land, farms and ranches throughout New Mexico. Whether horses or agricultural are your passion, your business, or both, we’re here to help you! Call or visit us today at www.freBrand.com

www.horsearoundnm.com | Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | HORSE AROUND

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