URGENT SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT!

 

URGENT SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT!!

SGF IS IN LOCKDOWN FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has confirmed neurologic equine herpesvirus on a property in Chester County, Pennsylvania. A 14-year-old Quarter horse mare had onset of clinical signs for equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) on October 27. She was confirmed with neurologic herpesvirus on October 28 and had to be euthanized. There have been a reported thirty-three additional horses in that area that have been exposed and at risk. Some of those horses were fox hunting in Radnor this past weekend which may have put additional horses in Chester County at risk.  It is suggested by employees of New Bolton Center that all local equine facilities take extra precaution over the next several weeks or until further notice.After infection, the incubation period may be as short as 24 hours, but is typically 4-6 days, sometimes longer. Please notify SGF staff IMMEDIATELY if you notice an of the following clinical signs of the neurologic disease:

  • Nasal discharge
  • Fever
  • Incoordination
  • Hind limb weakness
  • Loss of tail tone
  • Lethargy
  • Urine dribbling
  • Head tilt
  • Leaning against a fence or wall to maintain balance
  • Inability to rise

This virus is contagious and spread by direct horse-to-horse contact via the respiratory tract through nasal secretions. Fortunately, this virus is very species-specific, meaning that humans do not catch equine herpes virus.  It is important to know that this virus can also be airborne around a horse that is shedding or being clipped and spread indirectly through contact with physical objects that are contaminated with the virus:

  • Human contaminated hands
  • Contaminated clothing
  • Contaminated equipment and tack
  • Contaminated trailers used for transporting horses
  • Contaminated wipe rags or other grooming equipment
  • Contaminated feed and water buckets

**Any guest who visits other barns, veterinary facilities, animal hospitals, is exposed to horses or is even in contact with other humans who have done any of the above in Chester and surrounding counties, is asked to remove all exposed articles of clothing, put it in a plastic bag for transport and wash them immediately in hot soapy water to avoid contaminating other surface areas.  We ask everyone to please do this prior to coming on site as well as washing their hands thoroughly before ANY interaction with any of our horses, equipment,  or other farm guests to avoid any potential risk to the horses on site.   The virus can live in perfect conditions for up to one month. Be sure to be conscious and wash all possibly contaminated items right away- including sanitizing your car if you do not remove coats, shoes, pants, etc. and store in a plastic bag.

All of our horses have been vaccinated against this disease and are currently safe as long as they stay on site and our guests follow extra precautionary steps to ensure their safety.

As word of this disease quickly makes its way to the equine facilities of Chester County,  lots of farms are going into lockdown and local shows are being cancelled.  We will NOT be participating in any shows or off site training for the remainder of November or until further notice for the safety of all our horses combined.

It is highly suggested to all of our boarded horse owners that their horses also remain on the property in quarantine for the remainder of November or until the warning has been lifted.  If a boarded horse leaves this property against our better judgement, it may not be welcome back without a confirmed negative blood tests to show their horse is not infected.If you have questions or concerns, please see any of the SGF staff members to discuss further.

Thank you!

 

alysha barber

Alysha Barber is here to stay!

 

Yep, it's official, Alysha is here to stay and we couldn't be happier!!

Alysha initially started training at SGF part time just as a means to be involved because she believed in what we were doing and wanted to be a part of it.  Over time, our program grew, our demand increased and circumstances shifted.  We quickly found ourselves in need of a full time trainer.  We knew Alysha had every quality that we wanted in a trainer and shared the same values in life so we were ecstatic when she accepted the role.  Alysha is one of the good ones in this industry and we're so very lucky to have her, not only from a business perspective, but as a lifetime friend. When we met Alysha we were instantly drawn by her fun and energetic personality while awed by her knowledge and experience in working with horses both as a trainer and a riding instructor.  We realized we knew a lot of the same people both in and out of the horse world and although our paths hadn't crossed sooner, we agreed it was just a matter of time.

In just the past few months that Alysha has stepped up into the role of head trainer, our students have progressed tremendously and we are ready to take on the competition season. With her help, we now have a competitive riding team consisting of 8 riders for the spring season who will represent SGF at various shows and events both locally and out of town. In addition to Team SGF, we have several other students who are training hard and have plans to show this spring/summer with goals to join the team in the fall. Everyone has been thrilled with Alysha's teaching techniques and our student's horses are performing better than they have in years!

Alysha comes to us with 29+ years’ experience in the horse industry. Having grown up on a horse farm, Alysha was just a few months old the first time she was on the back of her mom's horse, shown in this photo with the family cat.

The foundation of Alysha’s training came from her mom, Debbie Myers, who is a well-respected dressage instructor. “Dressage is the foundation to all riding” Alysha says. Alysha has competitively ridden most of her life. She has been teaching riding students of all ages and levels for over 10 years , including students with special needs of both physical and mental disabilities.  She is one of the founding partners of Myers Equestrian and is now adding Head Trainer at Stoned Goat Farm to her already impressive resume.

Alysha currently owns (and rides) 4 horses which are kept at her family's farm in Mohton just outside of Morgantown, PA. She is a wife to husband, Chad, step-mom to 9 year old Paige (who also rides horses) and mother to two little ones, Gavin(3) and Mackenzie(1) who make her family now 4 generations involved in the horse industry.

 Alysha with her family, Chad, Paige, Gavin and Mackenzie

Alysha attended the University of Wyoming where she earned her degree in Animal & Veterinary Science and has been a Veterinarian Technician for over 10 years. She currently works at Elk Creek Veterinary Services and has a ton of experience in equine health. Do you think she has a love for puppies judging by these pictures below?

Alysha at the veterinary hospital

Alysha has ridden a variety of disciplines and has done almost everything when it comes to horseback riding. Her riding career was built on a solid dressage foundation and her involvement includes Hunters, Jumpers, Dressage, Eventing, Derby Cross, Fox Hunting, and she’s even competed in barrel racing at the rodeo!! She has experience with liberty work and driving single, team and pony carts. She has participated in a ton of paper chases, worked with polo horses, and has trail ridden since she was just a little girl. She has attended numerous training clinics led by industry leading instructors over the years and continues to push herself to try new things. There's not much she hasn't done or tried or is still willing to try.

Aside from her own personal riding career, Alysha has taught lots of pony camps, hosted and ran several horse shows and instructed numerous cavaletti & jumping clinics in the area. She is a big advocate for cavaletti training. Alysha has even been a judge at several hunters and jumper shows. “Out of everything, my passion is jumping, but I enjoy anything horse related and absolutely love teaching students” Alysha says.

Some of Alysha's riding days through the years

Alysha’s first big job after graduating college was working for a large equine sale facility. Alysha, along with other staff members would make the long drive out West to purchase large quantities of quality horses at auction and ship them back in large livestock trailers to Pennsylvania with the intentions to train and sell. Alysha would ride as many as 150-200 horses in one single day at the auctions in an effort to find the ‘right ones’ who fit their sale program.  Once back in PA, Alysha’s job was to train those horses to be used for sales or camps. Her training techniques stem from the natural horsemanship ways of training which focus on a more loving and respectful approach. She never uses a forceful hand when working with any of the horses she trains, including her own. “That job was by far one of my favorite experiences in life and it taught me so much” says Barber. You'll see a lot of Alysha's natural horsemanship techniques being taught and used during her riding lessons and training sessions. Alysha believes a horse should be willing to do what the rider asks from proper training, as opposed to the rider forcing their horse with gadgets and whips.

Alysha, practicing natural horsemanship training techniques

Alysha likes to teach true horsemanship, not just how to sit on a horse and look pretty , but how to really ride. “Horses are more like a partner than a vessel and we need to know how to build a solid relationship both on the ground and on the horse's back." This comes from proper training and starting from the ground up without skipping steps in any training or riding lessons. Alysha uses particular training techniques to help both the horse and rider connect.

When it comes to running a fun and successful program, sportsmanship and camaraderie are two of her most important factors which is why she was such a good fit for us. "I believe we are in a sport with a lot of judgement and we need to shift our focus to supporting one another, not placing judgement in what’s already a judging environment". Alysha shares the same values and goals that we have for our farm and riding program, which made partnering with Alysha an easy decision.  We knew she was the right fit for us from day 1.

It is her love of riding and willingness to teach others combined with her strong training background and degree in animal science that makes her a huge asset to our farm. We are thrilled to have not only an incredibly talented and knowledgeable instructor such as Alysha, but we're even happier to have her upbeat and easy-going personality which makes riding with her so fun and enjoyable.

Together, we want to break barriers in the horse industry and focus on having a great time in a POSITIVE environment by leaving all negativity in the dust. All of us at SGF couldn’t be happier to finally have Alysha on board full time!

Alysha and her ponies at a young age.

PONY FUN DAY!

PONY FUN DAY is just that- A FUN day for kids ages 4 & up spent with our ponies and horses. This is a kids event.

Get to know the owners and staff here at Stoned Goat Farm and see all that we have to offer young riders. Meet our horses, ponies and the world's best mini-donkey, Nacho! Participants will get to ride, groom, and decorate the horses and ponies while learning all about basic horse care in a safe and trusting environment. All levels welcome- from current riders to kids who have never handled or ridden a horse before. This is also a great opportunity or those who have considered lessons but didn't want to make the full commitment until trying it out first. There's something for everyone.

It's sure to be a FUN day with lots of pony action.
$20/participant. Price includes a FREE T-shirt for each participant. **must register by April 5th to get the free shirt**

Parents may drop off and pick up with a signed consent. Each participant MUST have a liability waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Event held rain or shine. We have an indoor riding facility in the event of bad weather.

Limited space available.
Please email us to register. Registration closes April 5th. [email protected]

Looking forward to seeing the kids at Pony Day!