Lessons Learned: The Power of Casual Conversations at the Barn

Some of the most important things I’ve learned about horses have come from casual conversations at the barn. My horseshoer, for example, is a goldmine of knowledge!

One day, a horse at the barn had foundered, and my shoer asked, “Was this horse on a complete feed?” The owner said yes, and he replied, “If God didn’t make it, don’t feed it to your horse.” That really struck a chord with me. He went on to say that most of the time when he asks people with foundered horses if they’re feeding senior or complete feeds, the answer is yes.

It reminded me of another conversation I had years ago with a chiropractor at the barn. He told me not to feed any complete or commercial feeds because he thought they were often the cause of colic and other digestive issues. These two casual conversations changed the course of how I care for and feed my horses.

After talking with the chiropractor, I stopped using conventional complete feeds. And after my shoer’s advice, I went even deeper—eliminating synthetic products and switching to a forage-based diet developed by one of my favorite vets. The changes I’ve seen in my horses have been incredible, all thanks to these three people who probably didn’t even realize how much their words impacted me.

I’m so grateful they shared their years of knowledge with me, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to hear at the time. I used to think I was helping my horses by feeding them those conventional feeds, but now I know better. We all do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along this journey, but when I learn something new, I do better—and I try to help others do the same.

If this message resonated with you, I’d be thrilled if you shared it with your friends on Facebook! Thank you for reading and thank you for being a part of my journey with these incredible horses!