The health care philosophy of our business is based on preventative health care to keep the horses healthy and happy. Preventative health care starts first with good common sense daily care and then is supported with complementary health care methods. Our horses are beginning to glow and we feel like we have control of their health issues!

1. FEEDING: It is important to develop a good feeding program and feel your horse at regular intervals. Feeding too much of the wrong thing is just as harmful as not feeding the horse enough of something. Not feeding on a schedule causes horses to stress about their meals and upsets their systems too. There will be times when you cannot feed exactly on schedule, just do not make a habit of it.  If you are feeding a good quality grass hay you can have hay in front of your horse 24 hours a day.  This is a great way to keep your horse happy.   Do not do this with an alfalfa/grass mix hay.  Alfalfa is too hot a feed.      (Trading Post Feeding Section ->)

2. VET CARE: The teeth of the horse play such an important role in the health and well being of the horse. The horse has a very sensitive digestive system and if the teeth are not in proper condition the digestive system is affected. Many health issues can be resolved by proper care and is one of the best investments made. This is a preventative step that will save you $$$ on vet calls and $$$ on your feed and supplement outlay down the road. Just plain floating the teeth does not quite fall in the category of dental care but is better than nothing. An equine dentist takes the dental care one step further. We use and recommend Erin Zamzow, DVM.  90% of our horses have now been worked on by Erin so you can check with us when your horse was done. (Trading Post Services Section ->)

3. DEWORMING: We recommend to our leasers to deworm when you have the farrier out to stay on a schedule. There is a way to test for parasites in your horse, but is something that must be taught to you and for you to develop an understanding. You can also have a fecal sample taken to a veterinarian clinic to be tested. This is an inexpensive way to check for sure. (Trading Post Care Section ->)

4. HOOF CARE: A bad shoeing job or lack of trimming can also affect the health and sensitive digestive system of the horse. This is an essential link in the preventative health care of an animal. Choosing a farrier wisely will save $$$ in a long run.  Both of our farriers are available on the westside of the mountains.  (Trading Post Services Section ->)

5. HOUSING: Manure and mud management are extremely important in the health of the horse especially on the west side of the mountains. Make sure you consider this when you are planning how you will prepare a spot for the horse. A lean to or a stall that a horse can go in and out of at will is the best way to keep one of our horses. Having some grass to chew on is one of a horses loves and is one of the very best ways to aid a healthy digestive system. The Horse for Clean Water Program is a wonderful way to educate your self in this process. Red Gate Farm won a Farm Merit Award for implementing the plan developed for the farm. It has cut down the daily maintenance time spent considerably. (Trading Post Services Section ->)

6. COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH CARE: This is something that we have been adding to our daily care program over the last 2 or 3 years and are still learning more and more about. Learning about the energy flow of the horses body has been something that we are now teaching to our campers. They are assisting us by taking on the responsibility of the hands on of assisting in discovering the blocks and working on re-establishing the energy flow to their horse. We are also using lavender oil as aromatherapy to relax the horse (rider too). Our horses love it and our campers now ask us if they can have some for themselves before a ride!! There are alternative steps to assisting a horse experiencing colic. Many times, if caught soon enough, the process is stopped and there is no need for the vet. Holind a capful of tea Tree Oil on the navel helps to relieve gas.  There are Dynamite products and essential oils to assist in this process. These are items that are in your horse care products so they are accessible if you have a horse that is showing signs of colic. We carry the items in our horse first aid kits when out on the trail. Pressure points on the horse can tell you where your horse is not quite functioning up to par and can be massaged to bring back into better working order. Accupressure points in the tips of the ears are massaged for the aid in shock and colic. Working anywhere on the inside of the ear will be useful to help a sick animal recover or keep a healthy animal well. This is just a short condensed overview on what can be accomplished in alternative health care essential to a preventative care approach. We can get you started in some just basic information but to learn more, weekend classes are available in “WHOLE HORSE ENERGY WORKS” by Kelley Mills. Kelley can be reached at kmenergyworks@hotmail.com. Another source of alternative health care is Leta Titus and she can be reached at 509-968-9181. Both these women have done some miraculous work with horses. (Trading Post Services Section ->)