2nd Chance Stables LLC

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

We give every horse here a minimum of two weeks to settle in before we ask things of them. Some need longer, rarely has one needed less time. Horses need an adjustment period just like people. If we fail to remember that, we’re setting them up for failure.

Why are so many horses being “mis-sold”?

I’m not entirely convinced they are.

You go and try a horse, in its home environment, with people it knows, in a routine it understands. You like what you feel. Maybe you go back and try it again… same place, same setup. It all feels good, and you think this is the one.

Vetting passed and you bring your new horse home...and then everything changes.

New yard. New field. New stable. New people. New routine. New smells, sounds, expectations.

You give them a day. Maybe two. Sometimes not even that.
Then you get on. New tack, different bit, new arena, people watching.

But suddenly, you’re not sitting on the same horse you tried.
They feel different. Tense. Sharp. Spooky. Not quite what you remember.

So now you’re on edge. Watching for everything. Questioning every step, every reaction, every feeling.

And this is where it starts to unravel.

Because what we often forget, or maybe underestimate, is just how big that upheaval is for them.

We’ve taken them out of everything they know, everything that felt safe and predictable, and dropped them into something completely unfamiliar… then expected them to perform exactly the same, almost immediately.

When they don’t, it’s easy to assume something’s wrong.
That the seller wasn’t honest. That the horse isn’t as advertised.

And so the horse gets labelled ''not as described''. The lucky ones are sent back, the unlucky ones are sold on, some going on to boomerang from one place to the next.

But what if the problem isn’t that the horse was mis-sold…
What if it’s that we expect instant consistency from an animal going through complete change?

Horses don’t just arrive and slot neatly into our expectations. They need time to settle, to understand, to feel safe again. They need space to adjust before they can show you who they actually are.
If we don’t give them that, we’re not seeing the horse we bought, we’re seeing a horse trying to cope, and that’s a very different thing.

Maybe the question isn’t “why are so many horses being mis-sold?”
Maybe it’s… are we giving them a fair chance to be the horse we thought we were buying?

05/28/2026

Apparently we were chosen by the baby chick 🐤 distribution system and our hen, lovingly known as “Whomping Willow” (the kids named her) decided to steal one of everyone else’s eggs and raise them on her own. What an overachiever!

05/27/2026

This is a great tool to use to estimate hay intake and annual feeding costs associated with equine care and ownership!

05/24/2026

Interesting! Definitely worth considering

Sufficient long slow distance work is essential for hard working horses to stay sound. Do you do enough??

🐴 Conditioning For Soundness

Throughout the world, horseman employ many different methods of conditioning the horse. And indeed there are quite a few different "programs" that result in a fit athlete. But most programs focus on the aspects of the horse's fitness that are the most visible - their musculature and their aerobic capacity (cardiovascular fitness) - without enough thought to strengthening bones, tendons, and ligaments. With a program that does not sufficiently allow for progressive strengthening of those important structures, the risk of injuries in those areas are greatly increased. The key is long slow distance (L*D) training.

Use the link below to continue reading 👇👇👇

https://www.myvirtualeventingcoach.com/conditioning-for-soundness/

05/23/2026

05/22/2026

What’s the deal with MSM? Does it help? Is it worth the money? I had a lot of these questions when I started rehabbing and I have found that this is one supplement worth having in my lineup.

Obviously; I am not a veterinarian. So whatever I share is what I have found works for me and our horses. I’m simply sharing in case it can help someone else as well! Do your own research folks! I am listing scientific evidence below. Enjoy!

Scientific & Veterinary Sources on MSM Supplementation

1. Marañón et al. (2008) — The effect of methyl sulphonyl methane supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in sport horses following jumping exercise
This is one of the most cited horse-specific MSM studies. Researchers found MSM supplementation helped reduce markers of oxidative stress and inflammation after exercise in jumping horses.

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2. UC Davis Equine Health Report (2021) — Supplementing For Joint Health: What the Science Says
A veterinary review discussing the evidence behind equine joint supplements including MSM, glucosamine, and chondroitin. Includes discussion of efficacy, limitations, and supplement quality concerns.

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3. Barshick et al. (2025) — Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) Supplementation in Adult Horses
Recent peer-reviewed research evaluating MSM’s effects on inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways in adult horses.

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Human Osteoarthritis & Joint Health Research

4. Kim et al. (2006) — The effectiveness of methylsulfonylmethane in osteoarthritis of the knee
Randomized controlled trial showing MSM improved pain and physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

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5. Usha & Naidu (2004) — Randomised, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study of oral glucosamine, MSM and combination therapy in osteoarthritis
Frequently referenced study demonstrating improved outcomes when MSM was combined with glucosamine.

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6. Debbi et al. (2011) — Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane supplementation on osteoarthritis of the knee
Found modest but measurable improvements in pain and function after MSM supplementation.

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Reviews & Meta-Analyses

7. Brien et al. (2008) — Systematic review of MSM in osteoarthritis
Concluded MSM showed promising benefits for mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis, though more high-quality studies were needed.

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8. Liu et al. (2018) — Meta-analysis of dietary supplements for osteoarthritis
Large review evaluating multiple nutraceuticals including MSM and collagen-related supplements.

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Veterinary & Educational Resources

9. Kentucky Equine Research — Equine Joint Inflammation and Nutritional Supplements
Discusses nutritional support strategies and supplement science in horses.

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10. The Horse Magazine — MSM and Inflammation
Veterinary-focused overview of MSM and its potential role in managing equine inflammation and cartilage stress.

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11. University of Minnesota Extension — Ingredients in Horse Joint Supplements
Balanced educational review of equine joint supplement ingredients including MSM.

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12. Butawan et al. (2017) — Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement
Comprehensive review of MSM’s mechanisms, anti-inflammatory effects, oxidative stress support, and safety profile.

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

Learning to ride isn't a straight line. It never was.

If you've ever felt like you were getting worse just when you thought you were getting better, this one is for you.

Learning any complex skill - and riding is one of the most complex there is - doesn't follow a smooth upward path. It feels more like a rollercoaster. And understanding why that is changes everything about how you experience the process.

When you start learning something new, it's hard. Your brain and body are working flat out just to process what's being asked of them. Gradually, with repetition and time, it starts to click. Things that felt impossible begin to feel possible. You find your trajectory and progress feels real.

And then you plateau.

This is not a problem. This is the point.

That plateau is where the skill embeds itself properly. Where what you've learned stops being something you have to think about and starts becoming something you just do. Staying in that place for a while - consolidating before moving on - is not stagnation. It's the foundation for everything that comes next. Think of each point of consolidation as a gatekeeper - building a buffer around your progress so that if you have a wobble further down the line, you won't go all the way back to the beginning. You'll only ever regress to your last point of embedding.

This is also why rushing that process works against you. Ask too much too soon and the nervous system doesn't just struggle - it pulls back. The comfort zone shrinks rather than grows. And what felt like a shortcut becomes a much longer road.
Then we ask something new of you. And for a while, it feels like you've gone backwards.

You haven't.

Nobody learns a new skill without getting it wrong first. That's not a detour from the process - it is the process. You're gathering information. Working out what works and what doesn't. Your brain is doing exactly what it's supposed to do, it just doesn't feel that way from the inside.

This is why we don't rush progression. Not because we don't believe in you. Because we understand what learning actually looks like - and we'd rather you embed something properly than move on before you're ready and spend twice as long unpicking it later.

The rollercoaster isn't a sign something is wrong. It's a sign something is happening.