South Wind Equestrian Center

10/20/2026

10/20/2026

Did you know?

These two mares are pair-bonded. This is Leda, on the left, and Summer on the right. The reason that horses are so good for humans, is that they are capable of deep and long lasting relationships.

If left alone, without human interference, they will stay together their entire lives. Wild horses have been studied, and the results were clear, generations of mares would stay together, grandmothers, aunts, mothers, daughters...for decades. They would move back and forth between stallions, but stay together as a band.

Skydog Sanctuary has demonstrated through their efforts to reunite mustang herds, that they not only remember one another, but grieve when they are separated. Some stallions simply die of loneliness, if separated from their lead mare.

Why is this important? Because if we are trustworthy and provide our horses with respect and the care they need as domesticated animals, then we can be their pair-bonded partner. This does not mean they won't choose a horse as well, as my two mares have demonstrated, but that they will take care of us, remember us, grieve for us and seek out our company.

When humans decide horses no longer have value, or are no longer meeting the humans needs, many will thoughtlessly separate pair bonded horses/mules/donkeys, sending them to new homes through sale or auction. These animals are quite sensitive to these changes and can develop behavioral patterns such as "buddy sour" and become "marish". And sadly, these horses are then moved around even more.

What would happen if we humans, supposedly of higher emotional intelligence than horses, took some time to allow these new additions to the herd, the opportunity to learn safety in our care? To provide a consistent routine, spend time with them out in the pasture, watch their movements with the new herd, and actually invest in them on the ground, without putting a bunch of pressure on them under saddle immediately? We might be surprised at the "new" horse we purchased, no longer exhibiting spooky behavior, buddy sour, or marish behavior. The behaviors are often a result of grief, confusion and no time to reset their nervous system to calm and safety.

I don't believe it is soft for a human to actually be intelligent about the animals that we have in our care. Dignity and respect, an allowing for separation and grief, can and will create for you a better partnership with your horse. It does take effort and time, but it is worth it.

Honor these animals and their depth of relationship. They will run faster for you, take care of you on the trails, jump higher, and meet you at the gate without treats if you simply notice and invest in a relationship with them.

10/20/2026

When we search for what connection really feels like, horses graciously meet us there. Beneath the performing, defensive bracing and fear lies your beautiful spirit. Breaking free releases that life force again, revealing true self. Then connection can flow into those moments of authenticity and presence.

10/08/2026

Hello?!?! Please stop starting 2 year olds! They need at least 3 years to grow up, be allowed to run and play in a large pasture and learn how to use their bodies correctly, before we add a human rider to the mix.

Please stop setting up these youngsters for the slaughter truck by age 8, broken down and “useless”. Let’s think ethically, humanely and intelligently about training our horses, and stop incentivizing breeders to show and race them as 2 year olds!

Rant over…again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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