ÿþ<html> <head> <!-- Sunny Acres Ranch Author: Shelly Richardson Date: 05/22/2010 Filename: boarding.htm Supporting files: sunny.css, logo.jpg, pasturepals.jpg, grazing.jpg, goodfriends.jpg, freeroam.jpg --> <meta name="description" content="Sunny Acres Ranch is a private horse facility offering natural boarding, rehabilitation, and nutrition analysis for your favorite horses and equines." /> <meta name="keywords" content="horse, horses, equine, equines, natural, boarding, board, stables, rehab, rehabilitation, rehabilitate, nutrition, washington, eastern, pacific, northwest, adoption, adopt, horsemanship" /> <title>Sunny Acres Ranch - natural horse boarding and rehabilitation packages available.</title> <link href="sunny.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body> <div style="text-align: center"> <img src="logo.jpg" alt="Sunny Acres Logo" width="697px" height="150px" /> <br /><br /> <table class="links" summary="Links to other Sunny Acres Ranch pages"> <tr> <th><a href="http://www.sunnyacresranch.com/index.htm">Home</a></th> <th><a href="http://www.sunnyacresranch.com/news.htm">Ranch News</a></th> <th><a href="http://www.sunnyacresranch.com/boarding.htm">Boarding</a></th> <th><a href="http://www.sunnyacresranch.com/horses.htm">Horses Available</a></th> <th><a href="http://sunnyacresranch.proboards.com" target="window">Forum</a></th> <th><a href="http://www.sunnyacresranch.com/about.htm">About Me</a></th> </tr> </table> <br /><br /> <p> <h2>Sunny Acres Ranch is a &quot;natural boarding&quot; facility.</h2><br /> <img src="pasturepals.jpg" alt="Pasture Pals" width="725" height="363" /><br /> <br /> <h3>So, what exactly IS natural boarding?</h3><br /> Natural boarding is the philosophy of trying to provide an environment for<br /> the horse as close to the life of a wild horse as possible while<br /> he/she is held in captivity or domestication.<br /> <br /><br /> </p> <hr /> <p class="ad"> <img src="grazing.jpg" class="rightad" alt="Horses grazing" width="463" height="272" /> <b><ins>Horses are grazers</ins></b><br /> Horses are naturally grazers - eating small amounts of food all day long. We provide spacious pastures, so that all horses can graze and wander throughout the day.<br /> <br /> Horses naturally feed at ground level. No hay racks or tall mangers where they reach upwards to eat. Not only is this practice unnatural for a horse, but it can also tweak their TMJ and cause respiratory problems from inhaling dust off of the hay.<br /> <br /> </p> <hr /> <p class="ad"> <img src="freeroam.jpg" class="horsepicture" alt="Free to roam" width="492" height="324" /> <b><ins>Free to roam</ins></b><br /> In the wild, horses would naturally roam 10-15 miles per day. Although it is impossible to create that type of environment on 20 acres, the horses at the ranch do have at least 2-5 acre pastures to roam throughout the day.<br /> <br /> Horses are not locked in stalls at Sunny Acres Ranch. This prevents the movement they need to be naturally healthy - both physically and mentally.<br /> <br /> I have also found that by letting horses graze and wander as they would choose to do naturally if given the choice, the &quot;behavioral problems&quot; such as weaving, cribbing, grinding teeth, pacing, flank biting, and lip popping do not exist within the herds at Sunny Acres Ranch.<br /> <br /> </p> <hr /> <p class="ad"> <img src="goodfriends.jpg" class="rightad" alt="Good friends" width="493" height="311" /> <b><ins>Horses are herd animals</ins></b><br /> As a prey animal, horses feel safest when they are part of a herd. Horses at Sunny Acres Ranch are turned out in their pastures with a compatible buddy or two, so they can be in a herd situation. Careful consideration is given when placing a horse in their herd. Factors that are considered include age, size, temperament, and sex.<br /> <br /> In some instances, a horse may need to be kept in a private paddock or pasture, but other horses are boarded nearby so that horse does not feel alone.<br /> <br /> </p> <hr /> <address> Sunny Acres Ranch &bull; Grandview, WA &bull; <a href="mailto:sunnyacresranch@yahoo.com">sunnyacresranch@yahoo.com</a> </address> <br /> &copy Sunny Acres Ranch 2006-2011 </div> </body> </html>