Red Mare Ranch Boarding & Training

Welcome to the series of informational and humorous posts called "The Livestock Survival Guide".

This is my version of insider trading, where I give you tips and tricks from the years I've spent on large property and around 1200lbs animals that live like they pay their own vet bills.

So here's survival tip #1!

You've just finished your coffee and you're ready to go for an early morning ride. As you step out onto your porch, ready to tackle the day, there's a mysterious creature from the black lagoon standing in your pasture.

It's your beautiful horse, covered in mud from head to toe. It's dried on thick and you've tried every tool at your disposal to remove the clumps and lumps and ridges and bumps.

Now what?

I'LL TELL YOU H-WHAT.
Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.
The mud will melt in minutes and make it easy to wipe off or rinse.
This can also be used on muddy boots, leg wraps, saddle pads.
Another cleaning tip for fabrics is a splash of apple c***r vinegar in your washing machine with your pads, leg wraps, fly masks etc. It'll keep bacteria and smelly smells away.

This is a cost effective and time saving way of maintaining your sanity and sanitation. Great for show prep, spot cleaning, and overall tack hygiene. It can stay ready in your grooming box and you'll never be afraid of creatures from the black lagoon again!

Happy Trails and keep surviving! 🐴❤️

A few w**ds survived, but this paddock looks great. 😍
I use pasture pro in all of our grazing areas.
It's not harmful to the horses at all and it's an effective product for w**d control.

Let the grass munchies begin!

Good morning! Early bird gets the worm!

This page is active again and there's a lot of changes!

My name is Daviana Tucker and I have taken over the facility that used to be called Silver Star Horse Farms.

We have changed the name to Red Mare Ranch, my partner and I live on the property and here's what I now offer!

Lessons & Training are still offered!

Lessons are 65/session, generally last an hour and are goal based. What that means, is we're going to set a target goal each week and try to hit our mark! Your weekly lesson plan is formulated for YOU and not just the generic "heels down, sit up". You may trailer your own horse in or use one of ours!

Training your horse is an investment and I try to keep costs reasonable. Instead of a standard set pricing, I have a "sliding scale". If your horse just needs a tune-up or you just bought him and want someone experienced to polish him a little bit, that pricing isn't going to be the same as starting a 2 year old. All training starts with a free evaluation. I'll come to you and we'll see where your riding partner is at and we'll discuss a plan that we're both happy with.

Boarding:
The facility has 3 separate barn areas with different amenities and each is priced a bit differently.
Full Care Boarding starts at $550/mo and this includes everything your horse needs. We do it all. Feeding, water, fly spray, fly boots, blankets, scheduling your farrier, worming etc. Leave it to us!
Partial Board starts at $300. You supply the feed and hay of your choice and we take care of the rest. You are responsible for maintaining your horses worming schedule and farrier schedule.

Our ranch covers a total of 30 acres including a pond. We have a covered riding arena with lights and an outdoor arena with a shaded viewing platform. There is a concrete washrack located in front of the main barn, with private lockers, AC tackroom and bathroom, saddle pad racks, and if you wish to buy a tote for additional storage, we have a shelf system and space for personal tack trunks.
There are trails to ride next to the property, plus the facility is only about 20 minutes away from Brazos Bend!

We are still in the process of making improvements and changes to the property.
We're always happy to hear feedback from clients and visitors, so that we can tailor our facility to the needs of the community!

Our barnyard isn't just a place to keep your horse, it's a place to build friendships, have an uplifting support system, and a little horsey paradise amidst our day to day.

We're your horse people's favorite horse people! ❤️🐴

For the month of November and December, I'm offering some deals and holiday specials!

You can bring your own horse or use one of ours!vvvvvvvvvvvvv

2 Hour Groundwork + Riding lesson - 80

3 Hour Intensive "Maximum Method" Training Course - 120

Reindeer Photoshoots with Minnie and Dolly - 80

For you and your horse!vvvvvvvvvvvv

Come ride our EXCA Obstacle Course/Barrel Pattern Exhibition/Drills- 20/day or for an extra 40 I'll instruct you and your horse through the course and help fix any hiccups to shave off time and get a cleaner run.

Beginner's Equine Health/Science and Care class - 30

Trailering Problems - 60 and I come to you and solve all your horses trailering problems and teach you how to tackle this in the future as well.

Let's talk about spurs.
This is a hot topic that gets a lot of people heated. This is just my take as a professional and as a rider who's been on both sides of the fence.

The majority of what I hear said about spurs, is that they're harsh, abuse, etc.
On the other hand, I see a lot of riders using them incorrectly, too.

To start off, a horse should ride with or without spurs, bottom line, no exceptions. And if you tell me "Well he doesn't like them" then that's telling me that you either used them improperly or your horse fights you when pressure is applied. They need to accept your leg, with or without a spur.

The purpose of a spur is not to increase the force applied or to cause pain. (Your spurs should be dull, always. If they're not, round them off with a file). Your spur simply sends a more clear message. There is less surface area and the spur can be moved more accurately to different areas of the horses side to achieve different things. The heel of your boot is large and very dull. Even if you move your leg closer toward the horses girth, it may still be confusing for your horse, because there's so much area being touched, it may not feel like it moved at all. Then you're left combining rein aids with your leg and further confusing your horse.

It's the equivalent of trying to play piano with mittens on. You lose the precision.

Now, this likely doesn't apply to you, if you're a more casual rider. But, if you're wanting to move up into advanced maneuvers and advanced horsemanship, a spur is a vital tool that may be needed. Not always necessary, but supplemental to your training.

Let's talk about saddle fit! Western saddle edition!

We've come a long way from the first saddles made and everyday, saddle makers do more and more to improve comfort for the horse.
We as owners and riders need to do our best to learn and stay updated with our knowledge in saddle fit.

When fitting your horse for a saddle, you need to look at your gullet width, angle of the bars, as well as channel width. When placing your saddle, you want it to be far enough back to give freedom to the scapula, but not too far back into the lumbar region.

There are tools that can be used to get proper measurements of your horses back or there are various cost efficient ways to make a mold of your horses back to take with you when you go saddle shopping.

Other things to factor in, are your horses conformation. Some horses have a very short back, longer back, forward girth area or a girth area that sits further behind, forward shoulder, etc. This is where your skirt and rigging can make a huge difference. Shown below, there are options to have your rigging set at a full position, 7/8, 3/4, and center that help to accommodate your horse and give them the most comfortable fit. These options can also make the saddle more comfortable for your leg position over the rigging. D rings, O rings, and double C rings can be used for different ways to rig your saddle, as well. There are tons of different ways that these rings are used. Talk to a trainer, fitter, or simply do some reading online to see which way works best for you!

Why I use Pulling Collars!

I started using pulling style collars about 13 years ago and never looked back.
Pulling collars attach through the pommel of your saddle and to the girth, instead of using the D rings. I love the look of them and I love that they allow more freedom of movement in the shoulder. They're great for horses with a broader chest and shoulder, and if you do high speed performance events, they can really pull into it without any discomfort or interference. I noticed that my saddle stays in place much better than other collars I've used and they're so easy to adjust to get the perfect fit on almost any horse. Give them a try!