Kerivan Farms

They are like people, lose bone density if you sit around.

For a long time, the standard response to injury in horses was simple: stop everything. Stall rest, limited movement, and a gradual return to work once the issue resolved. It was a cautious approach, built on the idea that removing stress would allow the body to heal. But modern equine medicine has begun to question that assumption. There is growing recognition that stall rest needs to be used thoughtfully, and that inactivity can have unintended consequences even when the goal is to protect the horse.

Dr. Julie Vargas, founder of Limestone Equine Performance Medicine, sees this clearly in her work with sport horses. While stall rest still has a place in certain cases, it is no longer treated as a one-size-fits-all solution. “Any time you lock a horse up, you immediately start losing bone density,” she explains. That loss can be significant, particularly in performance horses that are accustomed to regular work. When those horses return to training, they are often doing so from a diminished baseline, which creates risk. The original issue may have improved, but the system supporting it is no longer as strong as it was before.

The idea behind stall rest is logical. If movement contributes to injury, removing movement should allow healing to occur. But the horse’s body doesn’t operate in isolation. Bone responds directly to load, and without it, density begins to decrease. Over time, even relatively short periods of inactivity can have noticeable effects, making it harder for the horse to return to work safely and effectively.

Instead of removing movement entirely, the focus has shifted to controlling it. Rehabilitation today is less about stopping activity and more about focusing on controlled, appropriate movement at the right time. Walking programs, controlled exercise, and gradual increases in workload allow the horse to maintain and rebuild strength while continuing to recover. This approach is more nuanced and requires careful management, because not all movement is beneficial. The type, intensity, and timing all matter. Too much, too soon can aggravate the injury, while too little may leave the horse less prepared to return to work.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/07/25/movement-is-medicine-why-stall-rest-isnt-the-default/

Oh so true

The seat is a powerful riding tool.

Mark your calendars! Let’s get an early jump on 2027 dates.

Here is the tentative CEP Horse Show Schedule for 2027!!! ✨ A second week of our Scottsdale Spring Shows makes a return 🌸 As well as a new Scottsdale Winter Welcome in December ❄️ We’re always striving to make opportunities for every level of horse and rider! Stay tuned for more information in the coming months ➡️ cepshows.com

A very happy muddy horse with his friend in tow 😂

Very true! It is why our sport is so challenging. Horses have minds of their own and are different every day of the week. Figure them out with the help of a good trainer.

Let’s Talk About…

Have Expectations in the Horse World Become Unrealistic?

Everyone wants the perfect horse. Safe, forgiving, uncomplicated, brave. Doesn’t spook, doesn’t buck, doesn’t react, doesn’t look at anything! I could go on and on.

But at what point did we stop expecting horses to behave like animals and start expecting them to behave like robots?

Somewhere along the way, the standard for what people consider “safe” has become almost impossible. A horse flicks an ear at something, he’s labeled as distracted. Has one playful buck, he’s dangerous. Spooks at a flower box? Well that’s unacceptable!

The reality is, horses are prey animals. They are living, breathing creatures with feelings. They have insecurities and they get nervous just like we do. Some days they are fresh and others lazy. Yet more and more, it feels like people expect horses to absorb every ounce of nerves, inconsistency, poor timing, lack of confidence and lack of bravery without ever putting a foot wrong themselves. And if the horse does react? Suddenly the horse is the problem.

The truth is, truly “safe” horses are incredibly rare. The horses that quietly tolerate mistakes and pack people around courses whilst forgiving bad distances and still show up every day trying their hearts out are worth their weight in gold. But even those horses are still horses. Horses are not machines. We shouldn’t be expecting them to be emotionless schoolmasters programmed to never look at anything or have an opinion.

And maybe the bigger conversation is this: Have riders lost some of their own responsibility to become braver, better, more understanding horsemen? Because to me, good riding has never been about finding a horse that never reacts. It’s about learning how to ride through the moments when they do. Not every horse is suitable for every rider and not every rider is suitable for every horse. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that.

Because sometimes the best amateur horse isn’t the quietest one in the barn, it’s the one that teaches the rider to improve instead of expecting the horse to be an emotionless robot and do all the work.