Six Pound Farm

03/13/2026

2026 SPHT Open Modified 6th place

02/19/2026

Focus on health: Vaccines
Our location in Virginia is very prone to biting insects, so knowing what vaccines are important, as well as the frequency they should be given is an important lesson to learn.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃?

Vaccines protect against diseases that can be devastating — neurologic disease, respiratory outbreaks, fatal infections.

But not every horse needs every vaccine.

At Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals, we divide vaccines into two categories: core and risk-based.

𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

These are recommended for every horse, regardless of lifestyle.

They protect against diseases that are:

• Widespread
• Severe or fatal
• Public health risks
• Not dependent on travel or exposure

Core vaccines include protection against:

• Tetanus
• Eastern & Western Encephalitis
• West Nile Virus
• Rabies

Even the retired pasture horse needs these core vaccines.

𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

These depend on your horse’s exposure and lifestyle.

We consider:

• Travel frequency
• Show participation
• Boarding environment
• Breeding status
• Geographic disease prevalence
• Herd turnover

Risk-based vaccines may include protection against:

• Strangles
• Influenza
• Rhinopneumonitis (EHV)
• Potomac Horse Fever
• Botulism

A traveling show horse has different needs than a retired companion.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬?

It is so important to schedule vaccine appointments with your veterinarian, instead of buying them from online for a few important reasons:

1. Proper Storage and handling- If vaccines sit in the mail box or are mishandled at the feed store- they may be ineffective.

2. Safe Administration- proper technique reduces the risk of injection site reactions.

3. Medical Oversight- If a reaction occurs, a veterinarian can treat it immediately and document it properly, as well as have contact with the manufacturer.

4. Verified medical records- Many shows, boarding facilities and legal situations need proof of veterinarian- administered vaccines.
5. Disease Prevention Strategy-

At BVEH we tailor each protocol based on:

• Age
• Health status
• Metabolic or endocrine disease
• Pregnancy status
• Exposure risk

The goal is smart protection.

Is your horse traveling this year? Boarding somewhere new? Retiring? Breeding? Tell us what their year looks like — we’ll help you build the right plan. — Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals

02/18/2026

All of our horses are supplemented with natural sourced vitamin E all year round, but especially when the grass is dormant and hay is the only forage source.

A look back: In 1994, Canadian researchers at the University of Saskatchewan confirmed a long-held suspicion among equine nutritionists that horses may need additional vitamin E when no fresh, high-quality pasture grass is available.

Is your horse getting enough vitamin E this winter?

Learn more about the findings of the study at the link in the comments.

02/07/2026

This exciting cross has been reserved, Thank You and Congratulations to the buyer.
Side note- when I was in Holland last week, I had the fortune to speak to THE! Willem Greve, who it turns out sold Haya to the USA, and he had a very positive reaction to this cross, which was exciting to hear!
I have 3 more InUtero foals for reservation, get in touch if you want to learn more. Excellent References available.

01/22/2026

Get out what you put in!
Buckeye's Foal Starter is a vital part of my foal nutrition program.
We offer it to nursing foals as soon as they show interest in sharing with their moms. I want the mares to have their own feed thats meant to support them, and not share those calories with a baby that may not need them. Foals need milk based feeds vs. what a feed designed for an adult horse offers them.

Foaling season comes with ample surprises, don’t let your nutrition plan be one of them.
Whether its low milk production, a weak foal or unexpected circumstances, having MARE'S MILK PLUS™ and Foal Starter on hand means you're prepared to act immediately when extra nutritional support is needed.

Head to our website to find a dealer near you to have it on hand for your 2026 babies! 🐴

tde

01/15/2026

SPF Graduate - Class of 2020
Congratulations to Prima Elizabeth SPF (Con Capilot x Vatrica Keur Sport v. Niveau) on making the Top 5 USEF Horse of the Year standings!

01/01/2026

Sharing is caring, this is some great info.
Almost all of my horses live outside 24/7 with access to shelters, hay and water. Also, the majority are only wearing the coat that nature gave them, but of course I will make exceptions if needed. Happy, healthy horses is always the goal.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KWmP2hePe/

Cold Weather Nutrition
Brian S. Burks, DVM
Diplomate, ABVP
Board Certified in Equine Practice

Horses handle cold weather much better than hot weather; they are adapted to being out in the elements. Horses are isothermic at about 40º F, but healthy horses with a good winter coat are quite comfortable in temperatures near 0º, colder (to 40º below 0º F) if shelter is available. Shelter is needed to protect from wind, sleet, and rain. Blanketing is also useful in such conditions. Horses do need to be acclimatized to cold temperatures, meaning a gradual decrease in ambient temperature, not a sudden decrease.

Wild horses are known to gain weight in the summer months and lose weight in the winter. The extra weight helps to keep them warm during cold weather, and it is easier to gain weight during warmer weather than during cold weather. Piloerector muscles cause horses to fluff up their coat, trapping a layer of air between the skin and the outside. If there is a layer of snow upon your horse’s back, they are conserving heat and are warm; if the snow is melting, then heat is leaving the body. Shivering is also an indication that an animal is cold. Wet horses will also be cold, as they lose the ability to fluff up their hair coat.

It is important to assess your horse’s body condition at least twice weekly, meaning that the blanket needs to come off, and your hands need to go on the horse and FEEL underneath that fuzzy hair, which can make horses appear heavier than they are in fact. The ribs may be easy to palpate under the fuzz, which is not what you want- you should have to feel deep for the ribs, though they ideally are palpable. It is important to maintain the horse in a body condition score of 5 to 6 (moderate to moderately fleshy) because a layer of fat under the skin provides insulation against the cold. Horses in good body condition may not require blanketing, but those with less-than-ideal body condition often require additional methods of conserving heat. Horses in moderately fleshy condition require fewer calories for maintenance during cold weather compared to thin horses.

Winter uses more calories, and this can be especially evident in late gestation mares, the elderly, and the infirm. If you haven’t already, this is a good time to check teeth and have a good physical examination done. Horses require about 22,000 Kilo calories per day. This may increase 10-20% in the winter.

Roughage is the main heat source for the horse- not grain. Bacterial fermentation in the colon of fiber produces a lot of heat, which keeps the horse warm. The term ‘hay burner’ is used for a reason. Horses that cannot consume enough hay each day to maintain weight and warmth will require additional calories from a concentrate or vegetable oil. Concentrates are primarily digested in the small intestine and is not fermented unless spilled over into the colon, which can cause acidosis, colic, and diarrhea. Grain simply provides calories, not warmth.

Start with feeding 2-2.5% of body weight of hay each day. It is ideal to weigh this amount to ensure accuracy. Once you know this, you may be able to feed by flakes, assuming that the hay is all from the same source. For every 10-degree drop, add about two pounds of hay. Horses in the wind and rain may require even more hay. Horses kept outside should always have hay available, preferably in a feeder and not in the mud.

Senior horses may be unable to chew hay completely due to poor teeth and suffer from less efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients in the GI tract, thus requiring a feed specifically designed for them. Many senior feeds can be fed as a complete feed, containing enough fiber and fat to maintain health. Soaked alfalfa pellets or cubes can be fed several times per day to help maintain weight. Feeding 4-6 times per day provides more even levels of sugars and starch to the intestinal tract.

Also ensure that there is adequate water at tepid temperatures, between 45 and 65 degrees. Care should be taken when using tank or bucket heaters, to prevent fires due to wiring faults. Snow is not a substitute for water, as the horse cannot consume enough snow to meet its water requirement. Water is required for fermentation, but many horses will not drink freezing water, though if temperatures gradually decrease, they are more likely to drink colder water. Adequate water intake will also prevent dehydration, intestinal impaction, and colic.

Another consideration in cold weather horse care is housing or shelter. In general, even in cold climates, horses are happier and possibly healthier outdoors. Closed and heated barns are often inadequately ventilated. Horses living in poorly ventilated stables tend to develop respiratory diseases more often than horses maintained in pastures, even during cold weather.

Horses living outside should have access to adequate shelter from wind, sleet, and storms. Trees, brush, or a three-sided shed or stable can provide adequate shelter. In severe cold, horses will group together to share body heat. They may all take a brisk run to increase heat production, and then come back together to share the increased warmth. A long thick coat of hair is an excellent insulator and is the horse's first line of defense against cold temperatures. Horses that live outdoors during the winter should be allowed to grow a natural, full winter coat. Horses that live indoors and those with body clips will need adequate blankets in the cold weather to ensure that they do not get too cold. With sufficient thought and care by the horse owner, even horses that live outside in very cold climates will survive quite well during the cold winter months.

Fox Run Equine Center

www.foxrunequine.com

(724) 727-3481

11/13/2025

Exciting News!
I have partnered with to create a beautiful and informative YARD listing! I love the look of the site; the design is clean and modern, allowing the horses to be the focus. The search features are equally impressive.
Stop by and check out Six Pound Farm's new YARD!
https://www.iconeq.com/yards/6907a1f38332395fa9b66c6a

10/22/2025

How cute is she!?!
Fashionista aka Sixpound Sstars Aligned.
2020 Welsh x Oldenburg mare by Starry Night out of Fashionably Late SPF. Photos by Captured Moment Photography

10/19/2025

Vintage SPF - 2025 KWPN Filly at her KWPN Keuring pics where she received first premium scores. By homebred, *Reveille SPF* (Tangelo x Ulottie) and out of Bentinov Elite Sport(sp) by Ustinov.
This brave and bold filly has a fantastic character to add to her athleticism and mentality. She has already been smartly acquired, but her dam is re-bred for 2026 with a full sibling.
Amazing Photos by Chelsea Spear Photography