Lend a helping hand...

I thank you in advance for helping the magnificent animals...
It's that time of the year again...


Miller's Equestrian Center and Sanctuary www.millersecs.org
is holding it's annual Poinsettia Sale. Every year at this time we sell locally grown poinsettia plants for the holidays. 

HOLIDAY RED

Some Facts:
Plants are in 6 1/2" pots.
You have the color choice of:
                  
                        

RED GLITTER

                PLANTS ARE ONLY $10.00 EACH!

          MILLER'S RECEIVES HALF OF SALES!

The Sale ends November 18, 2011
Plants will be delivered between Nov. 28 and Dec. 2                              


The money raised will be used to buy MORE FEED for the horses and to winterize their pastures. Both of these items are very important to the horses to make the wet and cold months more tolerable. 
Please email me at 
mmp1865@aol.com 
with any questions or to place an order.

For my boy...

Some of us are lucky to bond with a great horse or two in our 


lives. Every moment with them is cherished. Memories with 


them are burned into our minds. We remember the day we 


met, the day they left and every day in between. Some horses 


are only in our life temporarily or for a short time. Some need 


to move on or pass on for different reasons. Their time comes 


and goes just as our own. Be kind to the horses that cross the 


trails through your life, as you never know when you'll meet 


again. We cannot be every horse's person, but we can be 


every horse's friend.





In Memory of Ted....


Happy Trails buddy. 


I miss you daily and know how lucky I was to 


have you.

To Blanket or Not to Blanket...

This is a question I get asked a lot this time of the year... I hope this helps!

How a horse stays warm:

Horses have developed very efficient means of staying warm, even in very cold temperatures. Your horse's coat is comprised of two types of hair: longer stiffer guard hairs; and a soft, fluffy undercoat. The guard hairs "guard" or protect the soft hairs from dirt and water, shed off rain, and collect moisture from sweat that might damage the undercoat. The softer, fluffier hairs of the undercoat trap warm air between and act like insulation around your horse. Natural oils are produced that coat the hair to make them water resistant. Each hair is connected to the piloerector muscle. This muscle allows the hairs to be stood up or laid flat. When they stand up, warm air trapped between them, just above the surface of the skin. When they lie down, warm air is released from between them, cooling the area above the surface of the skin.

When don't I need to blanket my horse?

• When he has a natural winter coat
• When he is healthy and in good body weight
• When it is not too windy or raining
• If the temperature stays above 5°F

When do I need to blanket my horse?

• When he has been clipped for winter
• When he is sick or injured
• When he is underweight (or any "hard keeper")
• When he is older, with weight issues, or difficulty moving around
• When he has been recently moved to a colder climate (Expect it to take 10-21 days for a horse to acclimate to a new climate)
• When it is Windy or Rainy or both
• When there is no available shelter

Important!

It is very important to keep in mind that there are times when blanketing is worse than not blanketing. A blanket will make your horse's hair coat lie flat, thus removing that insulating layer of warm air. If the amount of insulation in the blanket is less than what your horse's natural coat would provide, then he will be cold. Make sure that any blankets used for turnout are waterproof! A wet blanket will make your horse cold. Too many blankets, or too heavy a blanket will make your horse sweat, make the hairs lie down, and make your horse cold. Stick your hand under your horse's blankets to make sure he is not too hot. Additionally, you should not see sweat marks on your horse when you take the blanket off.