We follow Colorado State University's Recommended Deworming Schedule with some modifications for our region. Parasite considerations vary by region. You can ask your local vet or extension office for more information about parasites in your area.

Our vaccination protocol follows guidelines set by the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

Our adult horses receive spring and fall shots. Pregnant mares additionally receive EHV vaccines at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation. Foals receive their first vaccines at 4-6 months of age, followed by boosters at the appropriate times.

Our breeding horses have DNA samples on file with the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis and are tested for breed-relevant genetic diseases before they are first bred.

We would never breed a horse affected by a genetic disease, and we would never breed two carriers of a recessive disease together. We believe you cannot breed responsibly if you do not test for genetic diseases and refrain from breeding affected horses.

Niles has been tested for FFS, PSSM1, HWSD, and SCC (the latter two are not known in Irish Draughts, but are known in Connemaras, a related breed). Larry has been tested for FFS and PSSM1. All tests were returned N/N, meaning they do not carry any of these genetic diseases.

All our horses have access to free-choice forage to keep their guts and minds occupied.

In addition, because forage does not provide all essential nutrients, they receive supplementation with various Bluebonnet Feeds products depending on their life stage and work level. These are low-sugar feeds designed to deliver essential vitamins and minerals to the horse. We do not feed high-sugar feeds.

Sale horses are accompanied by a bag or tub of whatever supplement they are regularly receiving. This allows the buyer to slowly transition to their preferred feed if they do not wish to continue with our preferred feed.

Our horses' hooves are trimmed every 7-8 weeks. As needed, we do some light rasping in between trims.

We keep our horses barefoot to allow their hooves to develop properly. A healthy, unshod hoof absorbs impact much better than a shod hoof, in addition to improving bloodflow throughout the horse's body. Bare hooves also have better traction than horseshoes, increasing safety for both horse and rider.

Some of our horses wear hoof boots while working for additional protection and shock absorption.