We at Double R Stables have decided to diversify the services we offer to include what has become one of our strengths. Strictly via word of mouth, we seem to attract horses that some would consider special needs horses or horses of retirement  age. We, through our farrier and Veterinary contacts as well as our experience, have developed a reputation for caring for retirement-aged horses that are
approaching their last trail ride. We also have had some great results dealing with foundered horses, arthritic horses, horses with cancer, horses with thyroid issues as well as insulin resistance problems. Most of our solutions are centered on nutrition and light exercise, although some horses require special supplements and medication.

Our intention is to care for your horse as if it were ours. Grooming, walking, love and companionship will be part of their lives. Horse politics and dominance issues are at a minimum due to horses being kept in lots with one partner or in one case possibly two other horses. This insures that everyone gets the feed and supplements they need individually. In case a horse is a slow eater, it could be removed from the pasture at feeding time in order to make sure it gets its fair share. The horses also have run in sheds in every pasture in order to get out of the sun and escape rain. High quality hay is provided during winter and drought as well as plenty of fresh water. We will also treat them with the care and respect that they have earned.

We strongly believe in a spiritual connection between humans and horses and see evidence of it daily. You can witness our mind set on Facebook at Double R Stables Kentucky and Pal’s Page. We are happy to be part of this process in life. We will provide updated photographs and video of your horse as it enjoys its retirement years.

There are two Veterinary services available. One is a large animal Vet that is available twenty-fours a day and the other is an equine specialist that usually can arrive within twenty-five minutes. We also use the best Farriers in the business with years of experience in all aspects of hoof care including founder, cracks, gravels, corrective shoeing and other problems associated with horse’s hooves.

Kentucky is horse country and the horse capitol of the world. We are surrounded by all kinds of specialist in the equine field. There are equine medical facilities in Louisville and Lexington. We have chiropractors available as well as massage therapists and other holistic practitioners. So, the support is here to cover any needs you feel your horse deserves.

  We do not accept and will not keep horses with behavior issues. This is a place of peace for horses that have earned a peaceful home for the rest of their lives. It is not a training facility to correct problem children. We also cannot accept horses with communicable diseases for obvious reasons.

Pricing is based upon the particular problems the horse may be experiencing or health issues it may have. The cost starts at $200 per month and increases with Vet and Farrier care as well as specialty feed/supplement needs.

Please feel free to contact us via email at DoubleRStablesKy@aol.com, our web site at www.elizabethtownboardingstables.com , Facebook at Double R Stables Kentucky, or phone numbers, 270-369-6559/270-769-8261.

Thank you,

Richard, Jennifer and Matt Rowland

* If for some reason this link takes you to the sign in page for facebook, don’t sign in , just click on the button that says ‘continue’.

 Okay, I promised you a feel good story and here it is. Told from the heart and as true as true can be.

 It is funny how dates stick with me but this is one of those dates that is right up front.  It was September 26th of 2007 that I first met a horse named Pal who would change my life and test my belief in the possible. I, along with my wife Jennifer and son Matt, own a horse boarding/training/foaling farm in Kentucky. We had been talking to a lady about boarding two horses for her and today was the day they would come to the Stables. We knew ahead of time that they were special needs horses but we didn’t realize the depth of their need nor the challenges we would face in our attempt to return them to good health. Good health is just one of the goals we strive to reach. A great quality of life is the ultimate goal and you can’t have it without first mastering a return to good health.

 The horses arrived early in the afternoon. It was a beautiful, sunny, early fall day and we left the house, heading to the barn to meet our new guests. The first one off the trailer was Sara. She was a 27 year old Saddlebred mare. She had a pretty sorrel coat but pretty stopped there as far as pleasing outward appearances are concerned. She was on the smallish side, standing 14-1 in height and that is about the size horse I prefer. The bad news was, her coat was extremely heavy and curly. I am not a Veterinarian but she sure had the signs of Cushing’s disease.  Yep, horses can get it too. She led off with her head high, showing a regality of a much younger horse.

 Next off the trailer was the horse that would test my abilities like no other. Pal was his name. He was, at the time, a fifteen year old Paso Fino. He had a beautiful palomino coat with a light blonde mane and tail. He was also badly foundered. I promise to go into founder a little later. He was about as lame as I have seen a horse that was still walking and his eyes were bright red where they shouldn’t be. He had an eye cancer on his left eye. These things gave him the wild-eyed appearance that brought the title of this story to life. I am telling you, he looked almost demonic. He gimped off behind Sara.

 Pal showed his extreme discomfort until we put him in the riding arena. We generally put horses there when they first arrive at the Stables. Being centrally located, this gives them a chance to nose over with the other horses at the Stables and gives us an idea of where we are going to put them. Horse politics play into decisions regarding placement in fields. In this case, politics is another name for dominance in the herd. We study where horses appear to fall in the pecking order before placing them so we have less drama to work around.

 Well, after Pal made it, limping, into the arena, his whole demeanor changed. The head came up and he stepped out proudly. I must digress here a bit to tell you a little about males. We do not like to show weakness in front of other men. We could be bleeding to death but we would still try to move about so as not to appear weak in front of another man saying “I’m good” over and over. It is a man thing. It is also a horse thing. Weak horses will be culled out of the herd by the herd so as not to endanger it. We save exhibitions of weakness up and display them in front of the women in our lives. Be it our Mothers when we are young or our wives as we age. They bear the brunt of this banking of pain that we men have mastered. Ask any woman that is sharing space with a man that has a cold or a splinter and they will tell you what I am talking about. I guess this is a good time to apologize to Jennifer for the cold I am currently whining about.

Now, getting on with the story, Pal did not want to show any weakness in front of the other horses. So, he stepped out proudly. Even though he was in extreme pain, he did not show it. He taught me a little lesson that day and he would go on for years teaching me lessons. He showed me where his heart was and he showed me he had the drive and the want to that was needed to accomplish what we had to do in order to save him. He had no give. This wild-eyed horse still wanted to shine in someone’s eyes. I vowed that day to do everything I could to make sure that is exactly what would happen. The challenge was accepted and we started moving forward.

On October 26^th, just a few short weeks after the new charges arrived, Sara had to be put down. In addition to the Cushing’s disease, she also had bone cancer. Sometime during the night, her shoulder broke. She cut a trench in the earth trying to get up but it was not to be. Dr. Chad Bailey arrived shortly after being called, along with the owner and the misery was stopped. Twenty-seven years is a good run for a horse. Most will live 30-35 years and I know of some that have lived into their forties.  Pal lost his buddy that day and his life had to start anew. He went at it like everything else he did in life, with a great attitude and the need to shine. Unfortunately, he could not stop the founder that he experienced. He had another bad flare-up that brought major changes his way.

Chapter Two

I guess it is time to tell you about Founder. I promise not to go into a massive, medical jargon filled explanation. Lets just do the basics. Founder is Laminitis. It is a swelling of the soft tissue in the hoof between the hoof wall and the end of the leg bone. The swelling has nowhere to go and the laminae in the hoof can die. Depending upon the degree of founder, a small bone at the end of the leg bone called the coffin bone can rotate and actually come out the bottom of the hoof. This is the extreme but you get the idea.

Many things cause founder, from chemicals, excess feed, lush green grass, stress and many others.  Once a horse has foundered, it is much more susceptible to re-occurring bouts with the disease. Proper nutrition is the key to keeping flares from occurring. We have developed a propriety blend of feed in order to address the nutritional needs of a foundered horse. They get nothing to eat but what we feed. Neither a peppermint nor an apple slice will pass their lips. This diet also addressed the issue Pal had with the eye cancer. Jennifer and I are believers that proper nutrition is the key to battling any disease and most diseases are caused by poor diet.  In this case, fortunately, we were right. Within two months of becoming what the industry calls a dry lot horse, Pal was cantering, bucking, farting and generally having a good time. The surgery that was scheduled to address the eye cancer was cancelled because the eye cancer was gone. That is right, gone! There was no sign of it ever being there. His eye color came back and he regained the beautiful appearance of his youth.

Just too explain, a dry lot horse is a horse that cannot be on pasture. The sugar content in our pasture grasses here in Kentucky is extremely high. Sugar is a definite no-no for the foundered horse. They spend their lives during three of the seasons in dry lot. Pal lives in a corral like setting that has a chute that goes into a stall. It is only during the winter that he can go out in the barn lot. So, basically, he is an inside board. Which is generally a much more expensive situation for the owner. We love this horse so much that we lose money on him monthly. The owner does help a lot with the more expensive feed he is eating but it does not off set the high cost of his feed, supplements, bedding and the like. A full board is just a lot more expensive. I never said I was a good businessman. My heart is too big to try to make a profit from this situation.

The owner has a big heart also. See, Pal belonged to her Father. He was a one-man horse and the two of them were quite the pair until he died leaving Pal rudderless for a while. I have heard so many stories about Pal and his keeper. I really don’t think we own horses but share time and take care of them. But the stories gave me a lot of insight into Pal’s personality. He has a playful side to him. He is mischievous. Yep, horses can be this way too. He loves attention of any kind but especially tag. I will get in the round-pen and dart in different directions while he will come after me and then dart away. He never tires of it. He gets a funny look in his eye when we play like he is trying to fake me out and he usually does.  He also loves my goatee. I will put my chin on his muzzle and he will move his muzzle up and down in order to slightly scratch it. This is not something I recommend people do as horses can and do bite and the bites can be severe. But I do a lot of things with Pal to make him feel like he has something to look forward to.

Pal is also a great conversationalist. I have often said that some of the best conversations that I have ever had were with a horse. There is something about the cadence of a voice that keeps them right there beside you, seemingly enthralled with what you have to say. I have even had some put their head over my shoulder and listen as long as I would talk. Pal loves it when you talk to him. During some of these conversations, I would make promises to him. I made promises of a relatively pain free life, promises of a return to some freedom and promises of a high quality of life. Now, I had to keep my promises.

It was during these games that I had my first experience with the previous keeper, yep, the previous keeper. The one that I said had passed away prior to Pal coming here. On two occasions, out of the corner of my eye, I have seen someone watching me. Once while playing tag and once while grooming him. If you have never experienced such a thing let me tell you it is hair raising. The person was about my height, was wearing a light flannel shirt, blue jeans and a baseball type cap. There is no doubt in my mind that I saw this person but when I looked directly at the image, he faded away. After talking to the owner’s daughter, I was convinced that he had paid me a visit to see how his horse was being treated. She described him as I saw him and no, I did not hint as to what I saw. I merely asked her to describe her Dad. I told my wife about one of the experiences and she told me she had had one also. We firmly believe such things are possible.

As I said, Pal’s owner has a big heart but she is a single Mother with a demanding job. Her time is limited and we understand her situation. So we have willingly became Pal’s complete caretakers. His owner pays the board and comes on farrier day but we manage all other aspects of his life. We try to fill his life and make him feel like he shines in someone’s eyes like he wants to. Pal looks forward to his grooming. Jennifer has taken on the task after I said I was going to cut his mane because it was too long. She has seen what horses look like after I give them a haircut and she didn’t want Pal to look like that and I am sure he didn’t want to either.  See, we men have our ways to get out of things sometimes. Yep, I am caught.

Matt takes care of Pals stall. I have no doubt that he gets quite put out with Pal because Pal refuses to do his business outside. He cannot wait for the stall to be clean so he can go to the bathroom. I sometimes think it is another of his games. I can actually envision a smirk on his face when he messes up a newly cleaned stall knowing the reaction he gets from its cleaner. Kinda warms my heart and brings a smile to my face…

Chapter Three

 I knew in my heart that all of the things that we have done for Pal have not been enough. We were limited by his condition. So, we worked and worked hard to make him even better. We had a goal in mind and we hoped it was a goal that would make him grin. We wanted him to be in such good condition that he could be rode again. Now, that is a far-reaching goal. A nineteen year old horse that was foundered this badly surely couldn’t be ridden again, could he?

Well, yes he could. After the early months of disappointing flair-ups, some so bad that the owner asked if it was time to put him down. After untold numbers of changes to his diet, some that left him too thin, we reached a point where it was time to try. First we had to come up with a low sugar, slow metabolizing supplement to put a little weight back on him. He had lost some muscle mass, so this took a while. But, finally the day came to try it out.  It was September 17^th, 2011, almost four years to the day since Pal arrived in our lives, Jennifer put a saddle of him. At first, we were just going to judge how he acted. And, he acted like he was saying, “Lets GO”! I couldn’t believe it. After all these years, he was ready. One of our boarders, Lee Graves, who has no fear, rode him first. Pal never acted up at all. It had been a total of about eight years since anyone had been on this horse’s back. He rode like he had just finished his training. He reacted to leg controls, voice commands and the reins. Whoever trained this horse did a great job and Pal had not forgotten a thing. Jennifer rode him next and loved the way he responded. Pal is a gentleman and you can tell by his demeanor that he realizes that once again, he shines in someone’s eyes, several someone’s.

Since that day, Pal has been ridden several times, sometimes in the arena and sometimes in the round pen. He just keep getting better and better. He loves having a job again. All of the animals that humans have domesticated want a job. Well, maybe not all cats; we have three that are good mousers when the notion hits them. Pal was no different. He stares at the house, waiting for someone to come get him and take him for a ride. I believe someday, he will be able to go outside of the arena and round pen to the real world. He will have to wear a muzzle to keep him from grazing but once again he will taste freedom. We have come back around. I have kept my promises to him. With the help of the Creator, we have made him well enough to have a good quality of life, to be able to work and play without the extreme pain he was feeling. I am stronger from watching this horse move forward, always forward.

See, I went through a health scare the year after Pal came here to live. I was able to apply what I learned from him to go forward myself. I must have learned it well. The analytical part of me used to relentlessly search for the answer, scientifically, as to why things happen. I always had to have an answer to why. I am glad that drive dimmed and I can accept that sometimes things cannot be explained by science. I have had many spiritual experiences that science cannot explain. That certainly does not make them any less real to me. I plan to write about all of the experiences I have had, one at a time.

Learn this lesson, things are what things are, all is what it is supposed to be and all is well. I have learned and I have been at peace ever since I learned to live in this very moment in time. Right now is all there is. Embrace it and enjoy it.

I Believe,

Richard D. Rowland

November 2, 2011. This story is copyright protected. It cannot be copied or used in part or whole without the sole permission of the author.

]]> http://www.elizabethtownboardingstables.com/2011/11/03/wild-eyed-and-laid-up/feed/ 6 http://www.elizabethtownboardingstables.com/2011/08/12/summer-2011-newsletter/ http://www.elizabethtownboardingstables.com/2011/08/12/summer-2011-newsletter/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:44:55 +0000 Richard http://www.elizabethtownboardingstables.com/?p=222 Hello everyone!

I wish I knew where to start. The weather this summer has been extremely hot. Not just here but all around the country. I have felt sorry for the horses. They are melting. For the lucky ones that will tolerate it, we spray them off when we are cleaning and refilling troughs. They love those days. I wish all of them would stand still for a good cool off. We are using War Paint fly control most of the time because it holds up better in this hot weather and will not sweat off.

Jennifer and I went to Maine for almost a month this summer. We kayaked, played tourist, had a friend (Ileana)come up from Florida for a few days, ate awesome food, target practiced and just generally relaxed and had fun. Matt did a good job taking care of the horses and the place. We appreciate being able to leave and not worry about the Stables. I did not want him around the tractor so the fields and fence rows were completely out of control when we returned, not to mention the gardens. Good thing we didn’t plant much this year. About a week after we left Maine, Jennifer’s Mom fell and broke her hip. She is doing awesome. Jennifer has been back in Maine taking care of her Mom and Dad until they are back on their feet. She is due back here on the eleventh. I have missed her and look forward to her return.

We have two new boarders and both are great fits for the Stables. The first to arrive was Denise Elliott from the Radcliff area (originally from Illinois). She has a super looking horse named Ali (Alibi), a paint horse. Ali seems quite smart and willing. She is very calm and is quite a nice package. Denise takes lessons in the English discipline and we feel she will be riding here a lot. She can be contacted and welcomed at elliottdenise@live.com . Give her a shout and let her know we appreciate her being with us.

The second new boarder is the Collins family, Brooks, Linda and Sara. They reside in the Elizabethtown area. Sara is 10 years old and also takes lessons in the English discipline. They are a great family, new to the horse business with a great thirst for knowledge. They all soak up information about horses and already seemed seasoned. Their horse is an 8 year old TB mare. She was treated a little rough by other horses at the last place she lived and absolutely  seems to love it here. She is calm, possesses a bright, intelligent eye and is a good mover. I look for great things from her and well as her owners. They can be contacted at brooks@miluniform.com . Welcome them also.

The fields and fence rows are back in shape as well as the riding arena. All the horses are healthy. I am getting ready to give Pal a hair cut. I just envisioned my wife cringing as I wrote that. His mane is so long and thick and makes him hotter. Remember, anyone is welcome to play with him and give him all the attention they want to. He is a lovely horse. Dar is having some hoof issues. So, we have cut his field in half, cut his feed and will be increasing his hay consumption. He will be fine soon. Bo and Annie are like an old married couple. Both are in their twenties this year but you wouldn’t know it by looking at them. Jackie is still doing great. I really enjoy her being here and love her personality when it is hot. She can still be a little frisky when it cools off but love her anyway. Pepi and Big Shot are doing great also. I love to see Big Shot rack when Lee takes him out on his weekly rides. That horse is a mover and knows it. He is bleached out by the sun. Hard to tell he is a black horse. Both horses have been loading well and have been going to the Amish to have their feet trimmed on a regular basis. Lee does a great job with them. Sam doesn’t have any horses here right now but I think we will have three on the way before the end of September. Look forward to his Paints and Hunter type horses. One will be in foal for a early spring baby. Welcome back Sam.

I am off to a football games. Matt’s first game as a Coach. Looking forward to it. I will close by telling you that this is a blessed life. As I look back I realize just how lucky I am and that I would not change a thing. Looking forward I see nothing but good. I will be writing a new blog on the web page soon about an experience I had at the Stables a couple of years ago. It will be moving if I do the subject justice. It can be viewed at the web page or our face book page for the Stables. I am appreciative for all of you being here and being part of our family. Thank you!

Happy Trails,

Richard, Jennifer and Matt

            Horses are coming and going here at the stables. Indy has left to be bred, and our boarder Prairie had her baby and has moved back home to Kansas with her horse Tru. We do have openings for two to three horses, so if you know of anyone needing a place to board have them give us a call. This would be a good place to tell you all how much I appreciate each of you being part of our family. Without you, your loyalty and appreciation for what we do here, we would not be as successful.  Most all of you are long- term members and unlike those that come and go, you become part of the whole that is our home and family. Thank you one and all.

            On a sad note we lost two family members this spring – Sarge, our golden retriever, and Whiskers, our barn cat. They were with us for ten years each and left us the same week. It has left a void both in our hearts and in the farm. It’s apparent they were both doing their jobs, keeping varmints away and the mice out of the barn, as soon after they passed on the rabbits took over the yard and the mice the feed room! So, Jennifer and I recently made a trip to Debbie’s Rescue up in Radcliff, and adopted two young cats. Billie, an 8 month old male, and Gracie who is a ten month old female. They are already earning their keep with at least one dead mouse each morning as a gift for their rescue.

            Between rainstorms I was able to break the ground in the riding arena and I just purchased a new disc to smooth it out with. As soon as I get a chance, I’ll try it out and make the surface of the arena nice and smooth. We had a new water line run last fall from the end of the barn driveway to the barn, and while we were at it ran one down to the back pasture behind the riding arena. So now we have a hydrant at that pasture…no more dragging 300 feet of hose around!  I think I have the trench filled in finally as it kept washing out with the heavy rains.

            Jennifer and I have decided not to join the farmer’s market this summer. Their membership fee doubled and now they are charging a $10 set up fee each Saturday. We will still have a garden for ourselves but one of the gardens will be burned off and let rest this year. Now we need to figure out where to sell all of Jennifer’s homemade soap that she made this winter…any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

            Matt’s senior year of high school is winding down; he graduates the 28^th of May. He won’t be having much time off as he starts college June 1^st at ECTC.  Jennifer finished her Bachelor of Science degree in December and is now more taking classes at ECTC as well. I am proud of her and Matt for their accomplishments. Not to mention taking up all the slack that I left in the work schedule around here.

            All of your horses are well. They were wormed last month as part of the quarterly worming that we provide. Having fewer horses has allowed me to shift some around and work on a pervasive weed problem that we are having. Jackie is normal Jackie, the boss out back. Sometimes, with her arthritis, I do not know how she keeps her dominance but she does. We have lightened her weight a bit so she is not carrying as much and she seems ok with it. Pepi, on the other hand still gets heavy on air but she is happy. Big Shot is doing great and still learning everyday. Lee now has him loading and unloading off the trailer and is riding him a lot. Lee has done a wonderful job with his horse.  Dar is just regal and the thyroid medicine seems to have straightened out the problems he was having. He is temporarily in a big lot waiting for me to finish his. Peanut has graduated from two farriers to handle her to one. That will save Sam a little money. She is still a big dog that hasn’t mastered being a horse. I still have hopes for her and love her to death. Pal is still my playful buddy and we are managing his founder so well that you cannot tell that he has that problem. If any of you have extra time some days, feel free to give him a little attention. He has such a wonderful personality. Lindsey and Miguel’s horses are leaving at the end of the month. We hate to see them go but that is beyond our control. We went ahead and put some needed weight on Lindsey’s horse. He was a little ribby when he came but he looks super now. I believe that Miguel will be extremely happy with his horse King. He is a grade Blue Roan that looks super and is a good ride.

         I have been a little wordy but it has been a while since I wrote a newsletter. I plan on doing at least four of them a year as well as the weekly blogs from the web site to face book. Once again, thank you very much for being part of our family. Hope to see you soon.

As Always ‘Happy Trails’,

Richard, Jennifer and Matt

Running a farm or an equine agriculture business is like standing inside a circle of many intricate parts that all have to work in conjunction with each other to make the endeavor work. We are in the process of putting the circle back together after some of the parts left.

Some of you know that we lost our barn cat and trusty dog about 5 weeks ago. Whiskers, the barn cat was eleven years old and had been a fixture on the farm. When he was younger, he was quite adventurous and was once seen sitting on top of the electric pole next to the barn, trying to catch birds. He did manage to make it down himself. He was also quite a mouser until about eight years old, when he bored of the many mice and elected instead to come to the house and catch birds at the feeders. After his death, the mice re-claimed possession of the barn.

Sarge was not only a large part of this family for his eleven years but was a loyal and trusted companion. He was extremely smart with a command of the spoken language; not that he always followed our commands but he did know what we wanted him to do. He was a great varmint dog. He kept all kinds of animals away from the farm, including coyotes, foxes, possums, skunks (twice he learned the hard way), and he was an exceptional mouser. You could call him and say the word ‘mouse’ and he would catch it, throw it in the air, and when it hit the ground, it was dead. Then he would play with his prize. He had all the delivery people and mail carriers trained to show up with dog treats, and would even get in the UPS trucks when it arrived. He died during surgery of a rapidly advancing bone cancer. A week after his passing, a fox was in the yard trying to get a chicken we were babysitting, and the rabbits won’t stay out of the gardens. They didn’t wait long.

We loved these animals and miss them everyday. But, the time has come to realize the openings they left in the circle have to be mended. Their ghosts remain part of the farm but we need replacements to do the work. So, last week, we went to a no kill shelter in Radcliff called Debbie’s Rescue. Debbie has 38 (now 36) cats that desperately need homes. They are all fixed and have their shots. We adopted two cats. An 8-month-old male called Billy, and a ten-month-old female that was named Slick (mistaken for a male at an early age), now named Grace for Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane fame. Bill is a purring machine and Grace is regal. They are already mousing and have made gifts of two mice to us. They have also taken to the barn as their new home. We have added Debbie’s rescue to our monthly donation list. She has a wonderfully big heart. Along with the 36 cats, she has numerous dogs, two rescued horses and several chickens. She receives little in the way of support and most of the upkeep, feeding, vet bills and the like come from her pocket book. If by chance any of you are looking for a cat or dog, and wish to adopt one or  make a donation to the business, her phone number is 270-401-1004.

I have been to the Animal Control center a few times trying to find a dog that if not adopted, will be destroyed. I think Sarge would have liked it that way and I know my heart will feel better if we can successfully adopt a dog that fits our needs. Mostly, it will have to get along with the other animals here, mainly cats and horses. And, will have to pick up where Sarge left off keeping the varmints at bay.

So, the circle is partially repaired and maybe soon it will once again be complete. That is the plan and as with all I do, I believe!

Happy Trails,

Richard

This story is copyright protected and cannot be used in part or whole without the express written consent of the author. 10-05-2011