Horses & Family

11/11/2025

15 Fascinating Facts About Horses’ Emotional Memory and Empathy
Horses hold one of the most powerful long-term memories among domestic animals — recalling people, voices, and events for decades.
They read human intent through facial expressions, distinguishing friend from threat long before a hand is raised.
A single act of kindness can echo for years — a horse may seek out the same person even after a long separation.
Trauma carves deep grooves — a horse may forever avoid a place, object, or person tied to fear.
They sense human emotion through voice tone, breath rhythm, and body tension — even from across a field.
They respond not just to fear, but to sadness, joy, or confusion — silently, instinctively.
Mirror neurons in their brains allow them to feel what others feel — true empathy in motion.
When tears fall nearby, a horse may approach softly, lower its head, and offer a gentle touch — comfort without words.
A wounded horse can form the deepest bonds with a patient human — shared pain becomes shared trust.
Horses are proven emotional therapists for PTSD, depression, and anxiety — healing hearts, not just bodies.
They grieve deeply — lingering by a lost companion or withdrawing in quiet mourning.
Once bonded, they memorize your personal rhythms — footsteps, breath, even the silence between.
Their memory isn’t just survival — it’s the foundation for profound connection with those who earn their trust.
With gentle consistency, fear can be rewritten into safety — even shattered trust can be rebuilt.
Horse empathy is biological fact, not folklore — their brains and hearts sync with human emotion in real time.

11/11/2025

Staff Sergeant Reckless (c. 1948 – May 13, 1968) was a highly decorated U.S. military horse who served in the Korean War. Named for the reckless missiles she commonly carried, she also transported supplies and evacuated the wounded. She was frequently led along supply routes, then memorized them and traveled by herself, often alone and under fire.

During just one battle Sergeant Reckless made 51 solo trips to resupply front-line units, most of them by herself. Retired with full military honors in 1960, she was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

11/11/2025

Lest We Forget 🌺

Today, we pause to remember the brave men, women, and animals who served and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy. Among them were countless horses — loyal companions who carried soldiers through unimaginable conditions with courage and grace.

As we spend time with our families and our beloved horses today, may we reflect on their strength, loyalty, and the bond that helped carry hope through the darkest times.

We remember. We honor. We are grateful. ❤️🐴

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

Army veteran Adam Halloran found hope and healing through the Therapeutic Horsemanship Program at SUNY Cobleskill, where horses helped him rebuild his life. Today, he’s using what he’s learned to help other veterans heal, one horse at a time.

👉 Read his inspiring journey, From Hopeless to Healing to Healer, at bit.ly/3XlDBAa

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦.

SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech

11/11/2025

Horse Health Sense🐴- Some horses are finicky drinkers at the best of times, and the transition between the fall and winter months can be a particularly challenging period. At this time of year, horses have a higher risk of developing impaction colic when their diets change from moist pasture grass to dry hay. Another contributing factor is changing weather: horses’ water bowls or tanks can potentially freeze overnight if there’s a cold snap or unexpected storm — causing a decrease in their water intake.
Impaction colic is a type of colic that’s like constipation in people and other species. When a horse doesn’t drink enough water, it causes the f***s in the small colon to become very firm and dry. Over time, the f***s get drier and harder, causing increased pressure in the intestine. In severe cases, these hard f***s can cut off circulation in the horse’s intestinal walls.
If your horse is displaying signs of colic such as a disinterest in eating and drinking, pawing, sweating in patches, rolling and looking at their flank, call your veterinarian. Your vet will determine if colic is the problem by performing a re**al exam. If they feel a dry, hard mass of feed content, then it’s likely an impaction colic.
What can you do to prevent impaction colic?
• Ensure that your horse has access to a consistent water source that will not freeze over in colder temperatures.
• Since horses are less inclined to drink cold water, consider investing in a heated watering bowl or tank heater to keep the water temperature between seven and 18 C.
• Don’t rely on snow as an adequate watering method. Most horses don’t eat enough snow to meet their water requirements, resulting in dehydration and impaction colic.
To learn more: https://saskhorse.ca/News

11/07/2025

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10/13/2025

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving! Be safe!

I'm grateful for everything that happened this year. There was a lot of tough moments but I have amazing people around me and im forever grateful for them ✨ ❤ here's my list and not in any order lol

1. Flash is healthy
2. Court ended in May
3. My son had the best school year hes had EVER.
4. Finn got 2 yellow stripes in taekwondo
5. Finn ran his first marathon - 2K
6. Was a Educational Assistant and Admin (learned i enjoy it which inspired a career change)
7. Moved in with my amazing friend
8. Took a dance class i haven't done in 15 years.
9. Moved in with my amazing bf 💕
10. Had Thanksgiving with my parents (been 9 years).
11. Going to Celtic Colors in Nova Scotia with my family and family I've met from Nova Scotia and Ontario.
12. Got a raise at work.

10/11/2025

After 5 months I'm so excited that she's not as lame as I thought she'd be after her fracture. Im so grateful of her pulling through and the support we received 🙏 ❤

09/28/2025

In equine dentistry, three-point balance refers to the principle of balancing the horse’s mouth so that chewing, comfort, and performance are optimized. It’s a functional goal during dental equilibration (floating/adjusting the teeth), ensuring that pressure is distributed evenly and that the horse can move its jaw properly.🤠

1. The Three Points

The “three points” of balance are:
• Incisors (front teeth) – They determine how far forward and back the jaw can move. They are ised to nip grass.
• Premolars and molars (cheek teeth, back teeth) – They do the bulk of grinding and mastication initial feed breakdown .
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) – The jaw joint that coordinates the movement of the mouth and and absorbs stress.

2. Purpose

If any one of these areas is out of alignment (e.g., overgrown incisors preventing full lateral excursion, sharp enamel points on molars, or uneven pressure stressing the TMJ), the horse can’t chew efficiently or comfortably. This can lead to:
• Abnormal wear
• Difficulty eating
• Training and performance issues (resistance, head tossing, bit discomfort)
• Secondary problems in the neck, back, or overall biomechanics

3. Goal of Three-Point Balance

The dentist or practitioner aims to:
• Balance the incisors so the jaw can move forward, backward, and sideways without restriction.
• Balance the cheek teeth so pressure is even along the arcade and grinding is efficient.
• Ensure the TMJ is not stressed, keeping the horse’s jaw alignment comfortable and functional.

When all three points are in harmony, the horse achieves “three-point balance”—a state where dental anatomy supports natural chewing, digestion, and comfort.

CAEDP…….

09/27/2025

Horses don’t care how experienced you are—they care how you feel.

They’re drawn to calm, grounded, honest energy. When you're centered and authentic, they feel safe. When you're anxious or pretending, they feel that too.

You can't fake presence with a horse. That’s why they connect deeply with people who show up real and steady.

Energy doesn’t lie—and horses never stop listening.

09/25/2025

So interesting!

SKELETAL DEVELOPMENT should be considered more when we are developing young horses.

I’m not a trainer, and I can appreciate the idea of introducing tack and weight to young horses…slowly and mindfully while keeping the work light enough that the skeletal maturity is allowed for.

What I do wish I saw more of-is developing biomechanical balance in young horses from the ground before introducing tack and rider weight.

From the bodyworker perspective-the most common areas of soreness I see in ridden horses are the areas of the skeletal system that mature last…

While it’s not a clinical study by any means-but with well over 1000’s of massages under my hands I see enough of a correlation to be convinced we are doing too much too soon. More common than not-I see biomechanical imbalances in horses (of all ages) attempting to be corrected under saddle instead of in hand, which creates various compensation patterns elsewhere in the body.

I had these images created for my online classes to help owners and professionals better understand how the maturity timeline can impact performance development.

I share these thoughts in an effort to bring mindful awareness-never to criticize. I hope to see more ridden horses making it to their teens before they’re needing pharmaceutical intervention instead of the 5-10 year olds I see now.
The best time to learn new things and do better for the horse is now.

https://www.schaefferbodyworks.com/

09/20/2025