I know it has been too long since I updated our blog, but I came across this little video (obviously made by SmartPak) and it made me laugh! I hope it makes you smile too!
Stuff Riders Say…
February 1st, 2012EHV-1 Outbreak & Chatellen Farm
May 18th, 2011As many of you are aware, the horse industry has been hit by a very scary outbreak of EHV-1 . This is the neurologic form of Equine Herpes Virus, and cases have been reported across the western states including CO. As a result, Chatellen Farm is CLOSED to all incoming and outgoing traffic until this issue is under control and we are advised by our veterinarian to proceed otherwise. To be clear, we do not have any positive cases here, nor do we have any reason to believe that any of our horses or people have come in contact with infected horses. But better safe than sorry! There are many websites and emails going around, but I have found one in particular today that was very helpful; click here. I have great confidence that the veterinary community will contain this situation as quickly as possible, and hopefully the rest of us can be diligent enough to support their efforts! Stay safe!
Horse Cookie Recipe
December 20th, 2010Just a few days left before Christmas, have you shopped for your horse? How about making some homemade goodies? See below for a couple excellent, easy treats that are sure to please and make for a very Merry Horse-y Christmas!
Bucket Lickin’ Bran Mash
8 cups bran 1 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses 1 1/2 cups hot water
1 carrot, sliced 1 apple, sliced
Mix bran and oats with hot water, then add oil and molasses. This is a drier mash, so add more water if you like it soupier. Cover and let steep until cool enough to eat!
Oat Surprise
6 carrots, sliced 2 cups dry oatmeal 1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups applesauce
Mix all ingredients together until coated in a feed bucket.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
December 1st, 2010It is about time that I updated this blog, and the first day of December seemed an appropriate choice! There are a few things to update:
We have decided to continue the day to day operations of Chatellen, including accepting new boarders. So please contact Britt (see contact page) if you are interested in boarding or would like to tour our facility. We currently have availability in both our heated main barn as well as our outdoor stalls.
Beginning December 13th, Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez will be coming to Chatellen to give day clinics. We would like to continue to host her monthly, and are welcoming outside riders to come and ride as well. There will be a small trailer-in fee in addition to her lesson cost. If you are interested in riding, check our Calendar page or contact Britt.
As the nights get chillier, and the days filled with snow, we wish you the warmest of Holiday seasons and wonderful moments spent with you most special friend – your horse, of course!
Winter at Chatellen
Offered for Sale – Chatellen Farm
August 13th, 2010Unfortunately, due to the circumstances of the past several months, our beautiful farm is being offered for sale. Ranch Marketing Associates, with the help of Ron Morris and Lar Voss, have done a beautiful job of representing the property.
See the following link for more information:
In the meantime, our horses and wonderful clients will continue to enjoy the property and call it home!
Stephan Kiesewetter Clinic
June 14th, 2010We are excited to host Stephan here this week on Thursday and Friday, June 17th and 18th. We are FULL with riders, but we encourage auditors to come and join us for just $25/day. Also, visit our Clinicians page of the website to read more about Stephan. Please see below for the schedule and cross your fingers for good weather!
Thurs. June 17th
8:15 Trixie
9:00 Brook
9:45 Mary E.
10:30 Trixie
11:15 Teresa
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 Jane
1:45 Sue
2:30 Anne
3:15 Eileen
4:00 Sue
4:45 Kelly
Friday June 18th
8:15 Trixie
9:00 Kelly
9:45 Anne
10:30 Eileen
11:15 Mary E.
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 Sue
1:45 Trixie
2:30 Jane
3:15 Sue
4:00 Teresa
4:45 Brook
David and Liz Schump
June 1st, 2010
Liz & David Schump
On May 2nd, our little farm lost two very special people. The heart and soul behind Chatellen Farm was taken from us in a tragic accident. There are no words, so I will share a quote from their “celebration of life” service:
Blessed are you whose love has created families.
Bless members of our family who are here and those far away,
those that are living and those who have died.
Open our eyes to see your goodness in one another.
Open our ears to hear one another’s needs.
Open our mouths to say uplifting words.
Open our arms to accept one another.
Open our hearts to be loving and forgiving.
Rest in peace, Liz and David, and know that you will live on forever in the hearts of the ones you left behind.
Indoor Arena Facelift!
March 24th, 2010Recently we took on the immense, and necessary, task of re-doing the footing in the indoor arena. After consulting with Footings Unlimited, we established a plan to level out our base and then reuse the existing footing but spread it back out evenly, creating a better riding surface. We contracted with Jack Goodell, and as you can see below, his crew got right to work!
Making a pile of all the footing was the first step.
As you can see in the above picture, we had to make a giant pile of all the footing at one end of the arena. This allowed us to keep the footing from being contaminated, and also allowed the crew to level out the base on half of the arena at a time. They used an incredible laser tool that was set to a specific height and sensors were placed on their equipment, so that one uniform surface was created.
A large grader leveled the base.
After they leveled the base on most of the arena, they spread the pile of footing out and then were able to level the remainder of the base (what was under the footing pile). The laser tool again came in handy as they were able to precisely set the level at the same height as the rest of the arena, therefore ensuring the most level base possible. Once the base was completed, the crew set out to spread the footing back over the arena in a uniform thickness. We had previously decided that the arena had too much material in it before, so we had them spread it thinner. This again was accomplished with the use of the laser and many, many passes of the large equipment!
Spreading the footing using a box grader.
Spreading out the footing over the now level base.
The grader levels with the help of the laser.
The completed footing is fantastic! After spreading out the footing, and taking a bit out, we had all the footing treated with the dust-free product; Arena RX. We are thrilled to have completed this project so quickly, and proud of yet another improvement to our facility!
All the footing is back in place.
The finished product!
Wine, horses, and a road trip home
March 3rd, 2010Liz was lucky enough to get the opportunity to train with Lilo Fore for the month of February. Her equine companion for this adventure was Delight, a lovely Westphalian mare. And I was lucky enough to be asked to drive her home (the horse, not Liz)! As Lilo’s barn is located smack in the middle of wine country, my traveling companion, Jason, and I left a couple days early to try some wine and enjoy the countryside.
Zichichi Vineyard in the Russian River Valley
I was so excited to be in California, but our accommodations were a little slice of heaven. Located amidst the vines of Benovia Winery, we had quite the view each morning.
Morning mist over the vineyard.
For those of you not familiar with California wine country, the Russian River Valley is just north of Santa Rosa and is known for growing Chardonnays and Pinot Noir. And although this is the rainy season for Northern California, we were lucky enough to enjoy some sunshine, the spectacular cherry blossoms, and some wine!
Cherry trees line the lane at Trentadue Winery
We even found some happy equines in Napa Valley, and I couldn’t help but think how our snowbound horses would love to have an afternoon on this green field!
Horses in the Napa countryside
Pretty soon it was time to head home, although Delight seemed to enjoy her California accommodations, she seemed willing enough to load the trailer and return to Colorado.
Delight in her CA stall.
We stopped overnight at a delightful “horse motel” called Suzie Creek Arabians. They provided a clean, well-bedded stall so that our weary equine traveler could get some rest. Delight was bright eyed the next morning and ready to hit the road!
Delight, wrapped and ready to go!
The Chatellen rig, complete with driver.
Are we there yet?
So, from Elko, NV we made the final day of driving across the remainder of Nevada, all of Utah and Wyoming and into Northern Colorado. It was a beautiful trip, but I think I speak for the horse when I say, “It’s nice to be home!”
Home Sweet Colorado Home
The Great De-worming Debate!
February 21st, 2010I was reading the new March issue of Dressage Today, taking the opportunity of the snowy day and my employer being out-of-town (I raided her mailbox!), and came across yet another article on deworming practices. This must be the 3rd or 4th article of its kind that I have seen recently and I find it overwhelming, yet important.
The issue is; have we created parasite resistance to our commonly relied upon drugs by using them in rotation for all these years? And how do we prevent the situation from getting worse?
This, and other articles, refer to testing our horses using fecal egg counts to determine which horses are “high egg shedders”. These animals need to be dewormed more frequently using similar rotation methods that are already in practice. Low or moderate shedders, 70-80% of horses generally fall in this catagory, need only be dewormed 2-3 times a year and therefore would help to prevent resistance in parasite populations. However, this requires some investment of time and money on the part of the individual horse owner. So, is it possible to get all the owner’s in a barn to agree to this type of testing in order to benefit the entire herd? Are we ready for that? Those are the questions that cross my mind as a barn manager and individual horse owner. I know that soon this will be an issue we need to face head on as it may not be an option in the near future!
*To read the article I am referring to above, see the new issue of Dressage Today, March 2010 on page 77 & 78, “Parasite Control” by Hoyt Cheramie, DVM.