XS Ranch Horses

Today, we remember and honour those who fought. We are forever grateful for the freedom we have everyday.

Lately I have had several clients come to me and say my vet says they are good. Their vets aren’t wrong.... what you see trotting across pavement and what I f...eel mid turn in an arena are DIFFERENT. I need a vet that will listen to what I feel, because >>>I know my horse best!<<< People grind on their horses thinking it’s a training issue when in reality it’s something your vet missed. This is the part where I swoop in for a hot deal because there is quite a lot I can see and between me and my vet, we’ve turned a lot of rejects into straight up WINNERS. Don’t be afraid to go get a second opinion. I might not always be able to nail the exact place of the lameness, but I can tell when something isn’t right. I always say I cannot out train pain. Read. That. Again.!!!! It takes a team to keep these horses going down the road. If something hurts, stings, aches, they will not want to do their job to the best of their ability, or some may not want to do their job at all. I always make sure they are 100% as soon as I feel anything out of the ordinary. Fast horses will tear themselves to hell, so BE EDUCATED, try to understand why these problems arise, and use a performance vet. I recommend going with a performance vet, because your average farm call or small animal clinic vet just doesn’t see the numbers of performance horses as they do around here. I’ve seen vets fail a horse for something that will never effect their performance, and I’ve seen the other side, where that local vet completely misses something that actually will matter later, that my vet would have NEVER passed! I see quite a few struggling with intermittent lameness issues. I have been very fortunate with my horses and there is rarely a problem Dr. Lee of Double X Equine can’t keep me going on. However, I do understand not everyone has access to top notch lameness vets. Often vets may not see the sheer numbers that one here in North Texas does (Sometimes 20+ performance horses a day), and it may cost more as you go on a fishing expedition to try and find the issue. Going to a specialist DOES NOT cost more if they can find the issue the first time and you don’t have to bring them back 5 more times. There is VERY RARELY such a thing as a winning horse with no maintenance. People that tell me a horse has no maintenance always makes me ask: well how do you know the horse wouldn’t perform better? I’ve had a horse with a fractured hock never take a lame step.... each horse should be treated as an individual. So here are your questions: Is this soundness related? Is this maintenance related? Am I ok with said maintenance? What if that bad attitude is because they are sore? If it’s lameness... Can I fix this? Do I have the vets in my area capable of fixing this? Do I have the funds to fix this? Do I have an actual diagnosis? Is it worth fixing? If its fixed/healed will this horse come back 100%? What are my odds of that? What are my odds of the horse staying sound? Still having issues? Try asking a reputable trainer for an opinion. My tip of the day: steer clear from Facebook experts. Your horse will thank you. is Dr. Lee taking Hitman for a spin! #redhotrunninghorses

This year our trainer Bailey Scout got the chance to enter the Rocking Heart Ranch Weanling Challenge. They will be spending 3 weeks together and getting a good foundation before he has to head back home. She is in a team and her friend is working on the other one. We believe weanlings can be more difficult to train rather then a 3 year old colt or putting miles on an old ranch horse. November 7th is the challenge date! Good luck to her, her teammate and all the other trainers. This is day 2 of working with Daffy.

GIFT CERTIFICATES With Christmas around the corner, many of you are going to start shopping for your friends and family. We offer equine training that is insured! Gift certificates are a great way to help out your loved one who has been looking for a trainer.

One thing we take pride in is making sure your horses are healthy! It is extremely important that before we get on its back it’s at a proper weight, they have good hooves and they have good all around health. We are in touch with some of the best veterinarians, osteopaths, chiropractors and ferriers. We had a horse come to us with some vices that we needed to help with. He began to lose some weight rapidly, off to the vet and chiro he went. His teeth were done and we put him on a feeding program to boost his weight. The difference to us is incredible! He is far from where we want but on his way.

OPEN SPOTS We have open spaces starting September 15th!!!!!! With winter approaching it is important to some of you to have your colts ready by spring. We are insured and have the facilities to care for your colt in the cooler weather. Message us for rates and details!